South Seas given Guineas entry

South Seas (pictured right) and unraced Bless Him are Qatar Racing entries for the first British Classic of the season, the £500,000 Gr. 1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas.

Run over a mile at Newmarket on Saturday, May 6, the race has attracted 69 colts, among them the Andrew Balding-trained South Seas who won the Gr.3 Solario Stakes at Sandown in August for Qatar Racing. He was subsequently second in the Gr.1 Criterium International behind Thunder Snow, who is also entered for QIPCO's race.

Bless Him, trained for Qatar Racing by David Simcock, was a €600,000 breeze-up purchase at Arqana last year. A son of leading sire Sea The Stars, he is a half-brother to three winners.

The 57 entries for the fillies' equivalent race, the £500,000 Gr. 1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas, include Bletchley, who races for Qatar Racing from Ralph Beckett's stable. She was a close second in last year's Gr.3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot.

QIPCO Guineas weekend heralds the start of a new QIPCO British Champions Series campaign.