by Myra Lewyn

Coolmore’s Henrythenavigator caught runner-up New Approach inside the final furlong and outbattled Princess Haya’s champion and favorite for a nose victory on Saturday in the 200th renewal of the Stanjamesuk.com Two Thousand Guineas (Eng-G1) at Newmarket.

The Kentucky-bred Kingmambo colt won the Coventry Stakes (Eng-G2) last June at Royal Ascot, but went winless in two subsequent starts, capped by his third-place finish to New Approach in the Galileo E.B.F Futurity Stakes (Ire-G1) on August 25 at the Curragh.

 Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Henrythenavigator was fit and ready to race in his season debut on Saturday. The dark bay or brown colt settled near the back of the 15-horse field and steadily advanced as New Approach sprinted to the lead and set a swift pace.

New Approach, Europe’s champion two-year-old of 2007, quickened his tempo and opened a clear lead while Henrythenavigator split foes from midpack and took aim on the leader.

On jockey Johnny Murtagh’s cue, Henrythenavigator launched a determined bid, reeled in New Approach, and took the lead inside the final furlong. The Galileo (Ire) colt dug in and gallantly battled back and the two raced in tandem to the finish line with Henrythenavigator winning the head bob by a nose, giving O’Brien a fifth winner in the classic.
 
“Johnny gave him a masterful ride,” O’Brien said. “He played the horse to his strengths and I’m delighted.”

Murtagh, in his first season as stable rider for O’Brien’s Ballydoyle, acknowledged the victory as “a great start to a great job. I’m a very lucky jockey.”

Henrythenavigator completed the race on the straight Rowley Mile in 1:39.14 on turf rated as good.

Stubbs Art, a 100-to-1 outsider, finished third, four lengths in front of Stonerside Stable’s homebred Raven’s Pass.
 
Bred by Western Bloodstock, Henrythenavigator has won three of five career starts and finished second to Saoirse Abu in the Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes (Ire-G1) last summer at the Curragh. He is out of Group 1 winner Sequoyah (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells, and is a full brother to Group 3 winner and Irish and French classic-placed Queen Cleopatra.

Myra Lewyn is daily news editor of Thoroughbred Times