Dubai: Unless you have good reason to believe that your horse can win, you don’t shell out big money to supplement him into a race, at the eleventh hour.

This is a debate that is supported by the decisions of the connections of two exciting colts, Territories and Intilaaq, to pay the late fee of £30,000 (Dh169,664) which allows their prospects to take their chances of winning the Group 1 2,000 Guineas, the first Classic of the British flat racing season, at Newmarket on Saturday.

Territories represents the all-powerful Team Godolphin, who are looking for a third success in the prestigious contest while Intilaaq runs in the colours of two-time Guineas winning owner Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.

Fabre, who has been champion trainer in France on 24 occasions, last won the Classic in 1995 with Pennekamp while Godolphin’s last success was delivered by Island Sands in 1999. It goes without saying that both Fabre and Godolphin must be hungry to win this year’s 207th running of the 1,600m contest, which has attracted 19 of the best three-year-olds in training in Europe.

The legendary French handler knows what sort of horse it takes to win and must rate Territories’ chances very highly.

“Territories has come out of his trial very well and has come on for the run,” he told the Godolphin website.

“He is a horse who prefers genuinely good ground. He is more likely to get his favoured ground conditions at Newmarket than at Longchamp a week later.”

The Roger Varian-trained Itilaaq doubles the chances of Shaikh Hamdan who is also represented by the Richard Hannon trained improver Estidhkaar. Both horses will be ridden by Shaikh Hamdan’s retained jockeys with former two-time British champion Paul Hanagan opting to partner Estidhkaar while Dane O’Neill takes his chances on Intilaaq.

“I’m sure it was a very tough call for Paul (Hanagan). One (Estidhkaar) has the form in the book from last year. He did nothing wrong as a two-year-old, apart from his Dewhurst run when he wasn’t right,” Shaikh Hamdan’s racing manager Angus Gold said in the Sportinglife.

“But Paul has gone for the horse with the proven form. To have the two of them is great for Sheikh Hamdan and I think we’re all looking forward to the race.”

Meanwhile, Aidan O’Brien goes in search of a seventh 2,000 Guineas with market leader and two-time Group winner Gleneagles, the mount of Ryan Moore, and the unbeaten Ol’ Man River, who will be ridden by his son Joseph.

Other notable contenders include Hannon’s Ivawood and Andrew Balding’s Elm Park.