Some of the leading candidates for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas

Some of the leading 2000 Guineas candidates

Big-race preview & tips: 2000 Guineas at Newmarket

By Sporting Life

16:07 · FRI May 03, 2024

We have tips, views from connections and key video replays for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

3.35 Newmarket - QIPCO 2000 Guineas tips

David Ord - Task Force (each-way)

All eyes are on City Of Troy here and the favourite should deliver from the front. But he's short and each-way - or without the market leader - I like TASK FORCE. He improved with every run at two, has experience on this track and has been crying out to go up in trip. Already very useful and very much the sort to train on, he's a fascinating runner for his top team.

Ben Linfoot - City Of Troy

We could be dealing with something special in CITY OF TROY and he can blast his Guineas rivals out of sight under Ryan Moore. Clear of his rivals on form with the promise of more to come, he's well proven on the track and he can get them all at it in behind with a powerful performance off the front end.

Matt Brocklebank - Ghostwriter (each-way)

GHOSTWRITER remains a perfectly fair each-way price around 16/1 against what looks a superb colt in City Of Troy. If the favourite doesn't bring his sparkling two-year-old form to the table, perhaps Clive Cox's long-striding, stoutly-bred representative could be the one to take advantage. He progressed markedly with each run last year, ending up in the Royal Lodge, and that track knowledge and proven stamina for the mile should count for plenty in against a lot of horses with those questions still to answer.

2000 Guineas Day Preview! Saturday's best bets at Newmarket

Timeform Top Rated

City Of Troy (6lb clear)

Timeform Pace Map

Pace Forecast : Strong

Draw Bias : Favours High

Specific Pace Hint : There seems sure to be widespread support for CITY OF TROY (USA) who should be immune to race tactics.

Individual Price Hint : CITY OF TROY (USA) makes a lot of appeal he has traded on average in-running at 1.00% of his Betfair SP during his career to date.

What the connections say

Aidan O'Brien - City Of Troy: “Everything has been good, we’ve been happy and everything has gone well in the last few days with him.

“That piece of work he did last week was the last serious piece he did and thankfully he came out of that really well and everything has been good since.

“Newmarket missed most of the rain earlier in the week and that’s good, when you are talking about Classics you always want to run them on nicer ground, really.

“We’ve done all we can, we’re happy with how everything has gone through the winter so we’re just looking forward to it now, really.”

Richard Hannon - Rosallion: “Mine don’t usually go to the Guineas without a run, but Rosallion has been to Kempton twice and he also went to Newbury the other day, when he had a nice breeze on the bridle,” said Hannon ahead of the British Champions Series event.

“He’s had a coat on him all winter like Paco Boy used to have, almost looking like a snake, and he has the same attitude Canford Cliffs had, as he couldn’t care less.

“It’s a proper Guineas and whatever wins will be a champion. It’s not all about City Of Troy either, as there are others you could fancy too, but I couldn’t be happier with Rosallion. I know he’s the best horse in the yard, and we’ll find out on Saturday if he’s the best horse in the race.”

Richard Hannon – Haatem: “Haatem doesn’t work anything like so well as Rosallion, but he’s different. He’s not a showy work horse, but he goes out and grinds them into the ground and that’s what impressed me in the Craven. He loved the mile there, and he’s a bit of a dark horse.”

Karl Burke – Night Raider: “He pleases me every time I see him, obviously we don’t ask him to extend in every piece of work, but we’ve got a horse like Flight Plan who is rated 113 and Night Raider can put him to bed pretty quickly. He’s got a lot to prove and he’s got a lot of things against him. It’ll be his first run on turf and his first proper gallop on turf was at the Craven meeting, but he came out of that really well.

“Danny Tudhope loves him and I wouldn’t mind having a bet there’ll be nothing travelling any better than him a furlong and a half out and we’ll see what he does after that.”

Notable Speech impresses at Kempton

William Buick - Notable Speech: “I haven’t seen much of him since Kempton, but I think he has pleased everyone since and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s very hard to say until the day (if he can improve again) but I certainly think he deserves to take his chance.”

Clive Cox – Ghostwriter: “We’re very happy and we’re looking forward to Saturday now, the sooner it comes the better. We’ve done all we need to do and he’s in good form and we’re looking forward to seeing him run.

“It’s a Guineas, it’s a hot race and that’s what a Guineas is. We really like Ghostwriter, but fully respect all of the quality and strength in depth of the Guineas which you would expect.

“We hope he can equip himself well and show the promise he has shown before. He has course experience he has to put into place and we’re just looking forward to the day.”

Angus Gold – Alyanaabi: “He came up to Newmarket’s Craven meeting for an away day and I think it really helped him, like so many horses that really sparked him back into life, he’s been a lot sharper since that at home.

“They’ve been happy with him at home and I don’t think it will matter too much if it rains, he got through the ground all right on Dewhurst day. I think it will be unlikely to be that soft anyway.

“We’re hopeful he’ll run a big race. He was second to the good horse (City Of Troy) last year and obviously he has a bit to make up to beat him but he seems in good form, so we’re going there hopeful that he’ll run a big race and it will tell us a bit more with regards the rest of the season.

“He’s not necessarily an out-and-out miler. It’s Too Darn Hot’s first crop so we don’t know so much but he’s out of a Kitten’s Joy mare from the family of Height Of Fashion, so he could easily go further, but at the same time he showed enough boot last year. It’s a finding out mission.”

Alyanaabi wins at Newmarket

Barry Mahon - Task Force: “He’s all set to go and we’re looking forward to it, he’s in good form and Ralph is happy with him.

“It’s obviously a big task to take on the top two in the market, but as I read somewhere earlier in the week, there’s only been one odds-on winner of the Guineas in the last 30 years and that was Frankel, so upsets do happen.

“We’re happy with our colt, we’re looking forward to seeing him at a mile and hopefully we’ll have a good result.

“You’d like to think on pedigree he will stay. Last year he was a little keen at times, hence we went six furlongs. But when you watch the Middle Park back, he got caught for a bit of toe between the two and the one and stayed on up the hill and hit the line very strong, which is encouraging. You can never be confident until you try it, but we’re hopeful.”