2000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1)

John and Thady Gosden’s Field Of Gold heads the market for the first classic of the season. Kieran Shoemark’s mount is there on the back of a pair of Group 3 wins. As a juvenile last year at Sandown, he took the Solario Stakes in good style, and on return to the course this year, he took the Craven Stakes here at Newmarket, again in impressive fashion. There is an issue, the last horse to win the Solario as a juvenile and go on to win a Guineas was Oh So Sharp who won the 1000 Guineas in 1985, and the last horse to win the Craven and go on and win the 2000 Guineas was Haafd back in 2004. Between both G 3 wins, he’d had one run at Group 1 level when sent to France for the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc day. On soft ground, he came up short when placed fourth, beaten 2¼L by Camille Pissarro.

Opposing him are ten other colts, seven from England and a trio from Ireland.

Godolphin run three. Charlie Appleby has a pair, Ruling Court and Shadow Of Light head the English challenge to the favourite. The former has been chosen by William Buick, the latter will be ridden by Mickael Barzalona. Buick’s mount has only had the three runs, a Maiden win last year, then third in the G3 Acomb at York, beaten 2¼ L by the Loin In Winter and this year a 6L Listed win at Meyden. Barzalona’s mount has more experience and a far greater depth of form. Five runs, four wins the last two coming at G1 level. He was a ready winner in the Middle Park over 6f, beating the Morny winner Whistlejacket 4L, and then took the Dewhurst over 7f, beating Expanded a neck. The fear for Shadow Of Light is, will he see out the mile? Saeed Bin Suroor runs the long shot, Tornado Alert, also for the boys in blue, a Newcastle Maiden winner, he’ll be ridden by Silvestre De Sousa.

The other English runners are Wimbledon Hawkeye with Harry Davies in the plate, Seagulls Eleven who will be partnered by Tom Marquand, Ya Mo Be who has Jamie Spencer on board and Benevento who’ll be ridden by David Egan under his Amo Racing retainer. Of these, James Owen’s charge Wimbledon Hawkeye has the best form in the book. He split The Loin In Winter and Ruling Court in the Acomb and then won the G2 Royal Lodge last September here over 1m, however on return this year, he was well beaten in the Craven.

In the market, the Irish trio are headed by Ballydoyles, Expanded. He will have the benefit of Ryan Moore in the plate. The least experienced, he only had his first run the week before the Dewhurst when winning a Maiden over 7f at the Curragh. He really stepped up the following week only going down a neck to Shadow Of Light.

Joseph O’Brien sends Scorthy Champ with Dylan Browne McGonagle on top. A Maiden winner first time out at Leopardstown, he then ran second to Henri Matisse in the G2 Futurity Stakes, beaten 2L but turned that around in the G1 National Stakes, winning ¾L over the same rival, Hugo Palmer’s Seagulls Eleven was ¾L back in third.

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Jessica Harrington’s Green Impact will be partnered by Shane Foley. He was beaten a neck first time out in a Maiden over 7f at the Curragh, then beat Delacroix 1½L over 1m at Leopardstown and followed up in the G2 Juvenile Stakes beating the same rival over the same trip, this time the winning distance was a ½L. Delacroix has won the Ballysax Stakes this year and looks a real Derby contender now.

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The favourite is vulnerable.

John Gosden has never won a 2000 Guineas, a race he once dubbed “the last two-year-old race of the season”, and history is not on his side either given the record of the Solario and Craven as a test for this. He has commented that the Craven was won because the other horses overraced early leaving Field Of Gold look better than he was adding that he left plenty to work on and he does also expect him to improve.

The best horse in the race is the dual G1 winner Shadow Of Light. However, the vibes all over Newmarket are not good, and Charlie Appleby is already talking about a sprinting campaign and the Commonwealth Cup as his game. Maybe William Buick has made the right choice, but Ruling Court’s form has little depth. It would be a surprise if any of the other English colts could trouble the judge.

This brings the Irish trio in as serious contenders.

Expanded wouldn’t have been Aidan O’Brien’s first choice for this (the Loin In Winter would have been) however given he’s only run twice and his lack of experience could cost him here, he does however fall into the bucket of, “could be anything”.

So it comes down to a choice between Scorthy Champ and Green Impact.

Scorthy Champ was good in the National running true, something that couldn’t have been said about Henri Mattice who rolled around approaching the furlong pole. There’s just a feeling the latter threw it away however given Henri Matisse went on to Del Mar and won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, it is still strong form.

Green Impact beat a good horse in Delacroix last year, twice. He was well on top in the Juvenile Stakes despite Delacroix getting closer to him and Delacroix has franked the form this year in the Ballysax.

That gives preference for Jessica Harrington charge, she had Pathfolk run against Frankel in 2011 and came close with Lucky Vega in 2021 when he ran third to Poetic Flare. Green impact can make it a third time lucky and give her a first English classic.

Recommendation

Green Impact 11/1 ew

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