Channon hoping Guest will prove fully capable this time; German 2,000 Guineas.

Byline: David Conolly-Smith

CAPABLE GUEST and Johnny Jumpup are bidding to maintain the excellent recent record of British runners in the German 2,000 Guineas at Cologne today, writes David Conolly-Smith. Air Express (1997), Pacino (2000), Dupont (2002) and Brunel (2004) have all landed the Group 2 race for British-based trainers in recent years.

However, today's pair will have to excel to beat Idealist, a son of the 1998 winner Tiger Hill, who is expected to start hot favourite for the home team.

Capable Guest has scored only once in ten outings but started this season with a head second to Rebel Rebel in the Listed Easter Stakes at Kempton. When they clashed again in the 2,000 Guineas, Rebel Rebel finished runnerup to Footstepsinthesand, but the Mick Channon-trained colt was only 14th of the 19 runners.

Channon, who has booked Tony Culhane to ride, said: ``He failed to show his true form in the Guineas, and we couldn't find a reason. If reproducing his previous run, he should be bang there. I'm pleased with his recent work.''

Johnny Jumpup, the mount of Jamie Spencer, has won three times but has run his two best races in defeat, when runner-up to Cupid's Glory in the Horris Hill and to Indesatchel in the Greenham.

Both those races were over the straight seven furlongs at Newbury, but this extra furlong is not expected to be a problem. T rainer Ralph Beckett said: ``His preparation since the Greenham has gone well. As the form of that race seems to be working out, I'm hopeful.

``He'll appreciate stepping up to a mile and loves cut in the ground, so the fact they seem to have had plenty of rain out there should be in his favour.

``He's my first runner on the continent but, with several factors giving cause for optimism, we travel in hope. I don't know enough about the form of some of the opposition to be confident, but I couldn't be happier with our horse.''

Idealist was narrowly beaten by Konigstiger - trained, like him, by P eter Schiergen - in the Group 1 Gran Criterium at San Siro last October. He reappeared at Krefeld on April 17, beating Le King by an easy four lengths in the Group 3 Dr Busch Memorial. Paarl, Arrow and Furstenberg, who all reoppose, finished well beaten as third, fourth and last of the five runners.