Field Of Gold and Desert Flower Standing Tall Among Latest Guineas Entries

[Wandering Eyes]

The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was the most notable absentee as the latest entries for the first two British Classics of the season were released on Tuesday. A total of 24 colts remain in contention for the Betfred 2,000 Guineas, while the number of possible runners in the Betfred 1,000 Guineas has been whittled down to 17, before any supplementary entries.

Aidan O'Brien confirmed last week that The Lion In Winter was an unlikely runner at Newmarket, with all roads instead leading to the G2 Dante Stakes at York for last year's G3 Acomb Stakes winner. In his absence, O'Brien is responsible for five of the 24 remaining entries for the 2,000 Guineas, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 3.

That quintet is headed by a trio of Group 1-winning juveniles in Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere scorer Camille Pissarro (Ire), Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Henri Matisse (Ire) and Criterium International winner Twain (Ire), as well as the G1 Dewhurst Stakes runner-up Expanded (Ire). They are all from the first Irish-bred crop of Wootton Bassett (GB), along with the final member of the Ballydoyle team, Dundalk maiden winner Serengeti (Fr).

Twain is the sponsor's 5/1 second favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, behind only the John and Thady Gosden-trained Field Of Gold (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), who is available to back at 9/4 after his impressive success in last week's G3 Craven Stakes over the same course and distance as next month's Classic. He features in what could be a four-pronged attack from Juddmonte, along with stable-mate Detain (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Andrew Balding's G3 Greenham Stakes winner Jonquil (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and the unbeaten Cosmic Year (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who made it two from two for the Harry Charlton yard when recently winning a Kempton novice by five lengths.

Charlie Appleby could saddle up to three runners as he seeks his third 2,000 Guineas triumph in four years. They include Aomori City (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who was only third behind Field Of Gold in the Craven, identifying Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Ruling Court (Justify) as potentially the most formidable contenders from Moulton Paddocks. Shadow Of Light was crowned Europe's champion two-year-old of 2024 after back-to-back Group 1 wins in the Middle Park Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes, while Ruling Court impressed on his return to action when winning a Listed race at Meydan by six lengths.

Appleby's Opera Ballo (Ire) (Ghaiyyath {Ire}) was another horse not to stand his ground after his sixth-place finish in the Craven, but the runner-up at Newmarket, Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko), remains in contention, as well as Brian Meehan's Rashabar (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) after he filled the same position in the Greenham.

Meanwhile, Joseph O'Brien has steered clear of the trials with Scorthy Champ (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), but last year's G1 National Stakes winner must be considered another leading player from Ireland, along with the G1 Futurity Trophy scorer Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and G2 Champions Juvenile Stakes hero Green Impact (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). They are both trained by Jessica Harrington, who intimated recently that Green Impact was more likely than Hotazhell to line up at Newmarket.

As for the 1,000 Guineas, which takes place on Sunday, May 4, six of the remaining 17 entries are trained in Ireland, with last year's treble Group 1 winner Lake Victoria (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) featuring among four possible runners from Ballydoyle. Last seen winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar back in November, Lake Victoria could be joined at Newmarket by stable-mates Bedtime Story (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Exactly (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Merrily (No Nay Never), all Group-winning juveniles.

Appleby is set to rely solely on Desert Flower (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who was unbeaten in four starts as a two-year-old, culminating with a wide-margin victory in the G1 Fillies' Mile. She heads the sponsor's betting at 11/10 following a sparkling racecourse gallop during Newmarket's Craven fixture, ahead of Lake Victoria at 7/2 and Ger Lyons's Red Letter (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at 11/2.

Red Letter–who was beaten just a length and a half when finishing fourth in last year's Moyglare Stud Stakes, a Group 1 won by Lake Victoria–is one of two entries for Lyons, along with Listed scorer Chantez (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). The stable's G1 Phoenix Stakes heroine Babouche (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) was a notable absentee, however, in addition to Francis-Henri Graffard's G1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Vertical Blue (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Ralph Beckett's Cathedral (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}).

Of the remainder, Ollie Sangster could saddle up to three runners having retained entries for his G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes runner-up Celestial Orbit (GB) (No Nay Never), Moyglare second Simmering (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Flight (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), who was last seen finishing third behind Merrily and Cathedral in the G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes.

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