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Sky Sports News Alex Hammond marks your card for the weekend and more as she tackles the latest hot topics in racing. What are we to make of Air Force Blues flop in the Qipco 2000 Guineas and could you give the horse another chance when we see him again? How do you assess Galileo Golds victory? That was a surprise wasnt it? The only concern I had about Air Force Blue beforehand was a potential lack of stamina, but he was beaten before that even came into play. It is probably one of those performances that has to be put down to experience. It was interesting to see Aidan OBrien fit a tongue tie for the first time though, which suggests they may have felt it would help keep his airways clear, but we will never know. The Ballydoyle team will have examined him to within an inch of his life and maybe something will transpire. I think you can always put one bad run down to experience and maybe next time we will see a different animal. Prior to his reappearance OBrien had intimated that a drop to sprint distances could be an option for this son of War Front and he has been given an entry into the July Cup over 6 furlongs.The win of Galileo Gold went some way to cementing Hugo Palmers burgeoning reputation and the colt did all that was asked of him, but he isnt the most straightforward to deal with. He won in a good time given the ground, but I dont expect this was a really vintage Guineas. Hugo Palmer has to decide if he steps his speedily bred colt up in trip for the Derby and it appears they are resorting to science to help make that decision. A DNA test can apparently predict to within 90% accuracy the likely stamina of an individual. Obviously you cant have too much information and Ill be interested to see what the test reveals. A scientific approach is one thing, but its just one piece of the jigsaw and sometimes a horse defies its pedigree. Personally I think they have nothing to lose by running in the Derby as they can always drop back to a mile, but my gut instinct is that hes a miler through and through on both pedigree and temperament.Minding, the heroine of the 1000 Guineas, is now likely to head to Epsom (possibly via the Curragh), but what do you make of the suggestion that it could be for the Investec Derby rather than the Oaks?Whereas the 2000 Guineas threw up a surprise winner, the 1000 Guineas did not. What an achievement for Aidan OBrien to saddle the first three home and what a filly Minding is. As a backer of Ballydoyle I was pleased to see her stay on in taking fashion having not had the clearest of passages, but even with a clear run she wouldnt have beaten her stablemate. She wasnt stopping as the line approached and there will be good races to win with her too. Mindings dam, Lillie Langtry, was top class over a mile, but the influence of sire Galileo means this years 1000 Guineas winner looks capable of staying further. Her running style suggests that too. Ballydoyle is by the same sire and her dam was unraced with a speedy pedigree. Ballydoyles full sister is Misty For Me who won the Irish 1000 Guineas in 2011 and was effective up to a mile and a quarter. Im not sure if the lads will want to aim for the Derby with Minding if they have a colt with a realistic chance of winning the Epsom Blue Riband. Mindings value to the Coolmore team wont be enhanced if she wins the Derby over the Oaks, but obviously its crucial in a potential stallions future career. Did any other performances from Newmarket take your eye with a view to the future?Sir Michael Stoutes Exosphere jumps off the page in answer to that question. He was an impressive winner of the Jockey Club Stakes on 2000 Guineas day. Sir Michaels horses invariably improve for their first run of the season and you get the impression the manner of his win was a bit of a surprise. Obviously a lot of the focus in this race was directed towards the performance of Jack Hobbs who pulled up with something amiss, although he has apparently been ok since. Exosphere has clearly improved from three to four and Im looking forward to seeing him in the Hardwicke at Royal Ascot.Usherette looked magnificent when winning the Dahlia Stakes for Andre Fabre. It sounds like we will be seeing much more of her as the options for her in France are apparently limited. Arabian Queen was a good yardstick in second; in fact you have to wonder what the runner up has to do to get the acclaim she deserves. The winner is likely to run at Royal Ascot next before a tilt at the Falmouth Stakes on the July Course.Swiss Range looks like a filly that will be going the other way across the Channel. She is trained in the UK by John Gosden and has the French Oaks (Prix de Diane) as her next target. She looked smart when winning the Pretty Polly Stakes on just her third start. The mile and a quarter trip at Chantilly looks her likely optimum.I was delighted to see Englishman win a competitive six-furlong handicap for Milton Bradley on 1000 Guineas day. Milton is a whizz with his sprint handicappers and Id expect this horse to be astutely campaigned. He has improved for the removal of a chip in his knee and there should be more to come. His new trainer picked him up for just 20,000 Guineas in October 2014 and his patience has paid off and its worth remembering that as a juvenile this horse was highly regarded by former trainer Charlie Hills.Does anything take your eye from among the entries for Saturdays action?One of the races Im looking forward to watching this weekend is the Swinton Hurdle at Haydock. Its a strange time of year for fans of jump racing, but this competitive handicap hurdle should fill a hole for fans of the winter game. Paul Webbers Gwafa has plenty to recommend him. The five-year-old was a smart middle distance handicapper on the flat for Marco Botti in 2014 before switching to Webber for whom he made his debut after a layoff on Boxing Day. Hes a half brother to a horse Webber knew well in Australia Day and whilst this horse has his quirks, he also has plenty of ability. He was unfortunate to unseat his rider in the Grade 1 Top Novices Hurdle at Aintree through no fault of his own and he makes his handicap debut over hurdles in Saturday off a mark of 137, which may not be unreasonable. There could be much more to come from him and he has a chance in an open race for a stable that have been amongst the winners of late. Hes 9/1 with Sky Bet at the time of writing having been supported this week.The Victoria Cup at Ascot is the other big betting race at the weekend with a big field guaranteed for the seven-furlong handicap. Mutawathea is one to keep on the right side of for Simon Crisford who has booked the useful Eddie Greatrex to take 5lb off his back. Its debatable if seven furlongs is his optimum as hes also effective over a mile, but the 7 at Ascot should play to his strengths. To date he has done all his winning on the all weather, but he has gone close a couple of times on the turf including in a competitive race over this trip at Goodwood last summer. At 20/1 (with Sky Bet) he offers each way value and should be staying on at the finish. Also See: Live results service Full racecards Get Sky Sports Minnesota Vikings Jerseys . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. 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CHASKA, Minn. -- Martin Kaymer thought he was supposed to deliver extraordinary shots at the Ryder Cup because thats all he ever saw.He was a Ryder Cup rookie at Celtic Manor in 2010, sensing perhaps even more pressure because he had won his first major a month earlier in the PGA Championship. The week went as well as Kaymer could have hoped. He didnt lose any of his three team matches, except he was trounced by Dustin Johnson in singles.The most valuable lesson he can impart on Europes six rookies at Hazeltine is that good shots -- not necessarily spectacular ones -- usually are good enough.I thought the entire week, I need to make something special happen, Kaymer said Thursday. When you watch the Ryder Cup, most of the time you see the highlights and you only see great shots, bunker shots holed from the fairway and things like this. So you think you need to do that, too.And I hope that the rookies ... I know its very difficult, but somehow that you try to find a way to calm yourself down and enjoy what you do.Its a message for half of the European team.Europe also had six rookies at Celtic Manor, and it went on to beat the Americans. Neither team, however, has had at least six newcomers and won the Ryder Cup when playing before a visiting crowd.The Europeans had seven rookies, including 19-year-old Sergio Garcia and British Open champion Paul Lawrie, in 1999 at The Country Club outside Boston. Mark James, the captain, elected to sit out three of them until Sunday singles. Jarmo Sandelin, Jean Van de Velde and Andrew Coltart all lost their matches as the U.S. rallied from a 10-6 deficit to win.Bernhard Langer had five rookies on his team in 2004, and two of them sat out the entire first day -- Paul Casey and Ian Poulter.I will, along with the help and guidance of my vice captains, try and put out the strongest eight players ... as I see fit for the position the team is in, Darren Clarke said, not promising that all six rookies will see action Friday.But he also expressed full confidence.One of his rookies is Danny Willett, who won the MMasters.dddddddddddd Another is Matt Fitzpatrick, who won a U.S. Amateur. And then theres Thomas Pieters, whose only chance to make the team was to impress Clarke over the final two weeks. He was runner-up in the Czech Masters and won in Denmark.They are probably going to be the future of the Ryder Cup going forward and I feel very fortunate that they are here, Clarke said. I have full belief in all those rookies. They are very, very talented players and Im sure they will do their utmost to represent Europe the best that they can this week.The message from Kaymer, Rory McIlroy and others appears to be sinking in: Dont try to do too much, and have fun. And the term rookie isnt quite the same as it was in 1999 because of the global nature of the game. There are hardly any strangers in the Ryder Cup.I dont feel like everything is new, Rafa Cabrera Bello said. I dont really feel like a new kid moving into a new city. I havent played Hazeltine before, but Ive played in the U.S. many events and Ive played huge events in the U.S., as well. On that part, Im glad that those memories and those experiences are helping me to stay calm and relaxed this week.All that could change, of course.McIlroy tried to talk down the importance and the pressure of the Ryder Cup going into his first experience in 2010, and the emotions he showed that week indicated that it was more than he expected. Thats what he is trying to get across to the newcomers.You think you know what its like and you think youve played under pressure, but you havent. You havent played under what this is going to be like, McIlroy said. Its just trying to make them ready for that and trying to make sure that they are comfortable with where they are. But once you get over that hurdle, that hump of the first tee and everything that goes on with that, youre just down to business and youre just trying to do what you do every day of your life, which is play good golf. ' ' '