Guineas hope Berkshire is pleasing his connections
Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes, Berkshire is pleasing his connections as he begins his preparations for the Guineas.
Last Updated: 28/01/14 2:44pm
"We are very happy with Berkshire and are hoping for big things," said Oliver Cole, assistant to his father, trainer Paul Cole.
"When he won the Royal Lodge he did it the hard way as he was coming back from three months away, he pulled hard and he was out on his own in the middle of the track. His toughness saw it out."
"He is the type of horse that one would expect to get better and better with every race and he is still relatively inexperienced compared with many of his rivals."
"We have had a lot of very serious horses over the years but this horse is an exception in terms of his height and his strength. He has thickened and furnished a lot and is a bigger, stronger horse so I would hope that there is much more improvement to come."
Initially, straight after the Royal Lodge, connections suggested that Berkshire might not run again before the early season Classic but their precise running plans remain fluid.
"We haven't ruled out the possibility of a prep race before the Guineas," Cole junior said. "It would be either at Newbury, which is just up the road from us, or Newmarket [in the Novae Bloodstock Insurance Craven Stakes on Thursday 17th April]."