O'Neill expecting bold Equine show

Eoghan O’Neill believes Vital Equine’s fighting spirit will stand him in good stead in the Stan James 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday.

The Danetime colt proved a bargain buy when completing a hat-trick in the Group Two Champagne Stakes at York last September and has enjoyed a trouble-free preparation.

“He’s tough, that’s for certain. He won’t go down without a fight so it’s really just a question of whether he’s good enough,” O’Neill said.

“The whole winter has been geared towards this race and I’m delighted to be getting him there. Hopefully he’ll run a good, sound race and we’ll make a plan from there.

“He’s had a smooth preparation and everything has gone well. Thankfully he hasn’t grown over the winter but he has filled out – he was plenty big enough last year.”

O’Neill anticipates decent conditions at Newmarket and thinks Vital Equine has the form to be taken seriously.

“He won the Champagne on good, good to firm ground and they’re telling me it will be watered to be good, good to firm again. If it is the way it is supposed to be, then he should be fine on that,” he continued.

“He won the Champagne, he was third to Holy Roman Emperor in a Group One in France and then he was fifth in the Dewhurst, so he was one of the best juveniles around last year.

“He’s entitled to be there and he’s fit and ready to roll.”