Betfred 2000 Guineas analysis: Where next for the main protagonists?

No hard luck stories as Court rules

On occasions the Betfred 2000 Guineas throws up unsatisfactory results. Track bias, the draw, luck in-running and the weather have all been blamed for unlucky Guineas runners in years gone by, but not this year.

If anything, RULING COURT won despite making his challenge towards what had looked the unfavoured stands’ side for much of the meeting and the way he finished his race, combined with his stout pedigree, gives hope he can complete a Guineas-Derby double.

By American Triple Crown winner Justify, like last year’s poster boy City Of Troy, out of a High Chaparral mare, he is Charlie Appleby’s only Derby entry and is into 5/1 to complete a Classic double at Epsom on June 7.

He certainly looks to have the class after winning a Guineas that only really got going at halfway, Ruling Court having the gears to quicken off a moderate pace and showing tenacity to get the better of his stablemate, Shadow Of Light, who looked his main danger a furlong from home.

In the end it was the 15/8 favourite Field Of Gold who got closest to him, John & Thady Gosden’s horse finishing really strongly to finish second after being outpaced coming out of the dip, after earlier travelling well in the slipstream of the winner.

The challenge now is for Ruling Court to hold his form or even improve. This was just his fourth career start and both of Appleby’s previous Guineas winners, Coroebus and Notable Speech, won another Group 1 over a mile later in their three-year-old seasons.

It looks like Ruling Court will be asked to try and win one over further. Only The Lion In Winter, his conqueror in the Acomb Stakes at York last August, is above him in the Derby betting now. All being well we’ll get to see where the Ballydoyle horse is at in the Dante.

Any other Derby possibles in the Guineas?

While Ruling Court is the obvious one for Epsom from the Guineas, there were some promising runs amongst the beaten horses with a view to stepping up in trip in mind.

Tornado Alert ran a super race in fourth at 50/1 in the Godolphin red cap for Saeed bin Suroor.

Keen early in front, he stuck on well considering how he raced in the early stages and given he looked like he might get swamped by the field two furlongs out, he deserves credit for finishing a clear fourth.

With lots of stamina in his pedigree, it was no surprise that his trainer was pointing him directly at Epsom, although he'll have to settle better if he's to play a part.

Wimbledon Hawkeye is shaping like a horse that needs further and he ran okay in fifth, becoming unbalanced in the dip where he got outpaced after racing just off the leaders throughout.

Whether Epsom will be his track is debatable, but he’ll be of interest when he steps up in trip somewhere.

The other one who shaped like he wants to go out in distance is Jessica Harrington’s Green Impact, a horse who has grown into his frame from two to three.

He looked well beforehand and attracted each-way support, but was just outpaced a quarter of a mile from home and wasn’t unduly punished by Shane Foley.

If Ruling Court goes up to 1m4f, who are the milers?

Field Of Gold is the obvious one. While you wouldn’t necessarily say he was unlucky, he might well have won if they’d gone quicker in the first half mile and Ruling Court got first run on him from a better track position, given how this panned out.

The St James’s Palace Stakes looks the obvious race for him and while John Gosden’s Guineas wait goes on he has won the Royal Ascot race three times.

Indeed, he won it with Field Of Gold’s sire, Kingman, who was beaten the same half-length distance in his Guineas before he won the Irish 2,000 and the SJP in style.

While Kingman was a pure miler, Field Of Gold is related to 10-furlong horses and that distance could well bring out more in him judging by the way he’s been finishing his races this spring.

The Coral-Eclipse could be the race where he steps up to a mile and a quarter for the first time.

And if Ruling Court does step up to 1m4f at Epsom Appleby still has a miler to go forward with thanks to Shadow Of Light, who looked the likely winner two furlongs from home.

He held similar track position to Field Of Gold but on the far side and caught the eye with the way he moved from the rear to disputing the lead at the crucial point in the race.

Outstayed by his stablemate up the rising ground, this was a highly creditable run on his first go this season and it would be an interesting race were he to clash with Field Of Gold at Royal Ascot, as there wasn’t much between them here.

Who could drop in trip next time?

There were no obvious sprinters in the line up, but Scorthy Champ, by Mehmas, was also keen early and he probably wants to go quicker than they went in the early stages.

Whether that warrants a drop in trip remains to be seen, but he’s worth another chance under different circumstances, ditto Aidan O’Brien’s Expanded who disappointed down the field.

He was well backed in the minutes leading up to the race and his Dewhurst form was well advertised by Shadow Of Light.

Just the third run of his career, he ran like many of O’Brien’s Guineas horses have in recent seasons and connections will be hoping he can come forward from this next time.

It would be no surprise if the Jersey Stakes over seven furlongs at Royal Ascot came on the agenda for either of these two.

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