2000 Guineas – Saturday 30th April
The first Classic of the season takes centre stage at Newmarket this Saturday and here at Racing Tips we have provided our 1-2-3 for the Group 1 contest which you can check out below.
1. Native Trail
It’s extremely difficult to see beyond market leader NATIVE TRAIL in the first Classic of the year. Charlie Appleby’s imposing colt has been faultless in five career starts and delivered yet another impressive performance when winning over course and distance at the Craven meeting earlier this month.
Native Trail was one of the best juveniles seen anywhere last season, which included notable standout victories, including, thumping subsequent Group 2 Royal Lodge winner Royal Patronage on debut at Sandown by four lengths before slamming the previously unbeaten Point Lonsdale in Group 1 company at the Curragh – a performance that had striking similarities to that of former stablemate Pinatubo.
The son of Oasis Dream now must face his toughest test to date but the three-year-old appears to be in a league of his own at this stage and Charlie Appleby’s colt is taken to land his third Group 1 win of his career and take his unbeaten record to six on Saturday afternoon.
2. Coroebus
The boys in blue could be set for a big day at Newmarket and have strong claims of a 1-2 with COROEBUS, who also enjoyed a progressive two-year-old season last term winning two of his three starts for trainer Charlie Appleby.
After defeating five subsequent winners on debut on the July course at Newmarket, the Dubawi colt was pitched into Group 2 company on his very next start, contesting the Royal Lodge Stakes on the Rowley Mile. Travelling powerfully throughout, William Buick sent Coroebus to the line three furlongs from home, however, the useful colt was headed in the final strides, losing out to Acomb Stakes winner Royal Patronage by a neck.
However, Coroebus soon made amends for that agonising course and distance defeat, producing a smart turn of foot to readily pull clear of Imperial Fighter and land the Group 3 Autumn Stakes.
Although seemingly the apparent second string this weekend, it can be argued that Coroebus is unlucky not to be unbeaten as things stand and while he will have fitness to prove ahead of his three-year-old season, Charlie Appleby’s charge is an exciting individual and should run well here.
3. Checkandchallenge
While the market principles are fairly easy to weigh up, it’s hard to know just how good CHECKANDCHALLENGE could be after just two starts on the all-weather, however, the three-year-old is certainly a fascinating contender this weekend and could be set to run a huge race at lengthy odds.
A winner of a Wolverhampton maiden over seven furlongs back in November, William Knight’s Fast Company colt returned earlier this month in the Listed Burradon Stakes over a mile at Newcastle. Ridden with plenty of confidence, the three-year-old made stylish headway and comfortably cruised to an effortless success ahead of Dubai Port and Imperial Fighter – two useful types who were placed behind Coroebus in Group 3 company last season.
Checkandchallenge takes another significant rise in class this weekend but if able to transfer his all-weather displays to turf, the three-year-old is certainly not one to write off on just his third career outing and could be destined for a productive campaign.
