Newmarket 2,000 Guineas Antepost Tips: Expanded is no back number for O'Brien

• Craven Stakes winner favourite for 2,000 Guineas

• Expanded comes into the reckoning at 5/16.00

• Alan Dudman takes an antepost look at seaon's first Classic

Can Gosden win his first 2,000 Guineas?

When you consider the quality of the horses that have passed through Clarehaven, it is difficult to believe that the colts' early season Classic has so far eluded John Gosden. As a son of Kingman, who famously went as closed as can be, Field Of Gold has a chance to put right a wrong for Gosden this Saturday in the 2,000 Guineas.

His claims are fairly obvious and it's recent top form too with his Craven win, all achieved in a good time figure from which Timeform have him perched as the top-rated three-year-old at the moment with a figure of 121p. That also includes his Group 3 Solario Stakes win as a juvenile but the price of 7/42.75 is the sticking point.

3 (10)

Field Of Gold (Ire)

• J: Kieran Shoemark
• T: John & Thady Gosden
• F:

He's already shown part of his hand and, while impressivng with the way he flew home to handle the dip on the inside, the Craven left me a bit flat as Opera Ballo, who looked so good and on the clock at Kempton bombed out. The second, Wimbledon Hawkeye, apparently hadn't grown much since his freshman campaign and he chased him home.

On the plus side for backers of Field Of Gold, he reportedly didn't look 100% fit, and with Gosden calling him a "proper horse" at Windsor yesterday, it's all there for him to finally get his trainer on the honours board for the race.

O'Brien challenge likely to be weakened with Twain a doubt

News broke on Tuesday morning regarding Aidan O'Brien's 2,000 Guineas challenge. It's unlikely Twain will take up his engagement in the big race as an unsatisfactory scope after work on the morning of the column has raised his participation as highly doubtful.

It's an artistic duo that remain with Camille Pisarro and Henri Matisse 40/141.00 and 33/134.00. If those two run first and second, the forecast might get you the frame of a masterpiece from said artists, but Expanded is the clear Ballydoyle number one after his two runs as a juvenile which included a second in the Dewhurst behind Shadow Of Light.

Magna Grecia in 2019 was the last of O'Brien's record 10 victories and last year City Of Troy was written off for the season after his defeat in the race and, based on on O'Brien history in this race, Expanded is a fair price at 5/16.00.

2 (3)

Expanded (Ire)

• J: Ryan Moore
• T: Aidan O'Brien, Ireland
• F:

O'Brien recently said of Expanded: "We were probably a bit unfair on him to ask him to do what he did last season. It was a huge ask of him to run on soft ground in the Dewhurst just a week after he was so green and only just got up to win a maiden at the Curragh on his debut."

"But I suppose that reflected the belief that we have in him. All things considered, it was a remarkable run at Newmarket, really. Not only was he so inexperienced and backing up so quickly, he had to make his own running which he obviously hadn't done before."

On those comments, the ground will certainly be coming into his favour and, as a son of Jigsaw (from Galileo), he holds a classic line in pedigree.

I hope they run Cosmic Year but could he go elsewhere?

The Juddmonte-stronghold in the early part of the season provides more than airey promises, and away from Field Of Gold, I think Cosmic Year looks highly exciting.

In terms of his pedigree, the lines could not be purer as a son of Kingman and Passage Of Time (the great Juddmonte dam from Dansili), and he destroyed a field by six-lengths on his debut at Sandown last term on good ground.

I've since watched the replay of his Kempton win in April and the performance was like seeing an extravagant marina. Sent off at 2/91.22 he broke nicely but just before the final furlong his rocket-like injection was something to behold. His final two furlongs were recorded at 10.76 and 10.86 seconds, and dare I say it, shades of his sire Kingman.

It was blissfully easy so it's somewhat surprising he is priced at 25/126.00.

The problem could be that he doesn't run here at all and opts for other targets, as his rookie trainer Harry Charlton said: "There's the French Guineas, Irish Guineas and different routes into Ascot, so we'll see."

With Field Of Gold and Jonquil also for the owners, it could be that France or Ireland calls Cosmic Year.

Buick poser for Godolphin pair

Ruling Court and Shadow Of Light are the two for Charlie Appleby and the latter has the Dewhurst form in soft conditions last term - his first time at 7f. Appleby registered his second 2,000 Guineas winner in three years with Notable Speech, hot on the heels of the 2022 victory with Coroebus, but are these two up to that gold standard?

The Rowley Mile has been kind to him too amongst his three Newmarket wins and while he looked dazzling in the Middle Park, there could be a slight doubt on stamina, not a big one, but enough.

8 (2)

Shadow Of Light

• J: Mickael Barzalona
• T: Charlie Appleby
• F:

On the stamina, William Buick said: "If you go back to his Dewhurst win, that was on pretty soft ground. Obviously, his class told that day but equally he had to stay with the way the race unfolded and while you never know until you try, you would have to be pretty hopeful a straight mile on good ground should not be a problem for him."

Ruling Court was third behind The Lion In Winter in last year's Acomb, a strong renewal too, and he possesses a fine turn of foot.

Buick said of the pair: "Shadow Of Light is a champion two-year-old and Dewhurst winner so it's an obvious race for him to go for. Ruling Court is a horse we don't know as much about but he won the Guineas in Dubai on Super Saturday when he couldn't have done any more."

2,000 Guineas antepost verdict and bet

With Field Of Gold at 7/42.75 it's just a little too short for me, and while Shadow Of Light is a tempting price at 8/19.00, on the Dewhurst run in unfavoured soft conditions, Expanded looks more of the certain stayer.

While the form of his debut Curragh win was not up to much, it did come on good ground and further down the line holds Dante, Derby and Irish Derby entries.

At 5/16.00 and the experience of "The Dip" from the Dewhurst, it was a fine effort in that race for one so light on races and I admired the way he fought back too towards the line.

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