Horse by horse guide to the QIPCO 2000 Guineas

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11-1 AL WUKAIR  Andre Fabre
Unbeaten in three starts and expected to be in the first three by his peerless trainer so clearly warrants huge respect. Plenty to like about his reappearance rout of the Prix Djebel field at Maisons-Laffittee and clearly we haven’t seen the best of him yet.

1-1 BARNEY ROY Richard Hannon
Won his only start at two and looked a shrewd purchase by Godolphin when running out a two lengths winner of the Greenham at Newbury. He hit the line hard that day and will relish going back up to a mile here and looks a colt potentially right out of the top drawer.

3111111- CHURCHILL Aidan O’Brien
Europe’s leading juvenile last season, his big-race haul including the Chesham, National Stakes and Dewhurst. He sat out the trials this spring and while his trainer can clearly ready one for a Classic first time out, all of a sudden this looks a warmer Guineas than looked likely in late March. Will have no problem staying a mile and has answered every question asked of him so far.

12 DREAM CASTLE Saaeed bin Suroor
Brought a huge home reputation with him to Doncaster for his debut in April and duly delivered. He then showed tremendous improvement to finish second to Barney Roy in the Greenham but that only tells half the story. He looked all over the winner when sweeping to the front but was unable to sustain his run having been too keen early. This is a Group One colt in the making and ridden with restraint in a strongly-run race he’s potentially a player but he’s still far from the finished article and not many of those win a 2000 Guineas.

1-1 EMINENT Martyn Meade
Two-from-two, both at Newmarket, and came home strongly to win the Craven in the style of a potential top notcher. He’s another who has to be on any shortlist given he’s the type to continue progressing but the one nagging doubt is whether he’ll get tapped for toe at a crucial stage before thundering home when meeting the rising ground.

614522-4 LANCASTER BOMBER Aidan O’Brien
Very good at two, finishing second to stablemate Churchill in the Dewhurst and runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. Never a factor after a slow start in the UAE Derby at Meydan he’s a colt who will be best over further as the season progresses and hard to make a convincing case for him here.

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131-5 LARCHMONT LAD Richard Hannon
Useful at two but seemingly had limitations exposed when fifth in the Craven, beaten four-and-a-half lengths by Eminent. He did race away from the main action but was in trouble two out and didn’t see the race out. It could be seven furlongs will prove to be his optimum trip.

31583-13 LAW AND ORDER James Tate
We know plenty about this colt – and there’s no evidence anywhere he’s a 2000 Guineas winner in the making. Ran creditably in the Feilden given a penalty for his Lingfield win and the fact he was too keen early, but it’s hard to see where he’s going to find the improvement required to shake up the big guns here.

312-8 SPIRIT OF VALOUR Aidan O’Brien
Fourth and final member of team Ballydoyle but another who’s likely to be in here to offer a helping hand to others. He was never a factor in the UAE Derby after a tardy start and while better than that – it will be on other days that he shines.

3232-3110 TOP SCORE Saeed bin Suroor
Thrived in Meydan over the winter, winning two races before he was another to throw it away as the stalls opened in the UAE Derby. A strong travelling front-runner, he too could be there to offer a helping hand to better fancied stablemates as he has it to prove that he’s a Group One turf miler.

CONCLUSION: Churchill will go to post a warm favourite and is clearly going to be a tough nut to crack but he faces some potential significant improvers and the vote goes to Greenham winner BARNEY ROY. He came home strongly at Newbury and will relish this step back to a mile. Dream Castle could run well if settling, Eminent is a player for all he could be better at further and Al Wukair is another key ingredient to a fascinating Guineas.

1st Barney Roy
2nd Churchill
3rd Eminent