The first Classic of the Flat season takes place at Newmarket on Saturday (16h35) with the running of the Betfred 2,000 Guineas.
Eleven colts contest over the Rowley mile for the history books, a future career in the stud barns and the winner’s cheque, close on £300,000. Track conditions likely to remain good.
Field Of Gold won the Gr3 Craven Stakes at Newmarket last month (Pic – Edward Whitaker/Racing Post via Juddmonte)
The Juddmonte-owned, Gosden-trained Field Of Gold is currently favourite (7/4) in what looks an open contest. The grey shot to favouritism after an authoritative display in the Craven here just over a fortnight ago. He was three and a half lengths superior to the reopposing Wimbledon Hawkeye, a winner himself over course and distance in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes last season.
In his illustrious career John Gosden has yet to win the 2000 Guineas and will hope to rectify that on Saturday afternoon. The grey looks the one to beat.
However, seven of the last ten Guineas winners were making their seasonal reappearance, so following the major two-year-old races may carry greater significance.
The Dewhurst has long been the definitive juvenile pointer and last year’s scorer Shadow Of Light was a highly progressive juvenile making his breakthrough win over seven furlongs crucial to his chances on Saturday.
Godolphin number one William Buick was aboard Shadow of Light in the Dewhurst but now rides the impressive Meydan Group 2 winner Ruling Court with French ace Mickael Barzalona deputising aboard Shadow Of Light.
Shadow Of Light is officially rated 8lbs higher than Ruling Court after his Dewhurst success but has to prove his stamina over a mile. Buick’s choice is very interesting – Ruling Court has had only three starts and could be well ahead of the official ratings.
Runner-up in the Dewhurst, Expanded is now the sole Coolmore representative. Aidan O’Brien has won the race a record-breaking ten times, and, on each occasion, they were having their first start of the season. Expanded will bid to continue that trend and he could turn the tables on Shadow Of Light over the extra furlong.
The trainer described Expanded (by Wootton Bassett out of a Galileo mare) as “unusual” as the colt won his maiden by a neck at The Curragh early last October before being beaten by the same margin in the Dewhurst just seven days later.
Two other lightly raced colts – Scorthy Champ, trained by Joseph O’Brien and Green Impact from the Jessica Harrington yard are worth mentioning. Both these Irish raiders were to the fore in leading juvenile contests last year and bring strong form to the contest.
Saturday afternoon should answer a lot of questions regarding the season’s three-year-old colts.
