Following Monday's confirmation stage, Godolphin's Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) appears to be the one to beat among 19 colts in Saturday's G1 Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. Undefeated in five career starts, the recent G3 Craven S. winner is odds-on with some bookmakers to provide trainer Charlie Appleby with a first victory in the Rowley Mile Classic. Appleby will also be represented by Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who will be ridden by James Doyle.
Native Trail and Coroebus are among the top two choices for Saturday's feature in addition to unbeaten Group 1 winner Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who is one of three potential Ballydoyle representatives along with Glounthaune (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}).
Also included among this season's Classic contenders is Dubawi Legend (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who was only two lengths behind Native Trail when runner-up in last year's G1 Dewhurst S. “His turn of foot and his change of gear is what's exciting about him,” said trainer Hugo Palmer, who won the 2000 Guineas six years ago with Galileo Gold. “On a rating of 115, he was the joint second highest-rated 2-year-old in Europe. Galileo Gold at the same stage was rated 110, so he is the best 2-year-old I've trained without a doubt.”
Tom Marquand has been booked to ride the colt.
In regard to his competition, Palmer added, “Native Trail beat a whole lot of maiden winners and horses that were 50-1 for the Guineas in the Craven. At the same time, I don't think William Buick had to hit him more than once and he beat them three and a half lengths and you don't know what was there.”
“I think it's going to be a pretty big field on Saturday. There's 19 left in and you don't stay in for free, so you must stay in with the thought of you're going to run.”
“I can't help but think a bigger field will hinder Native Trail as there'll be some non-stayers stopping in front of him. There'll be some non-stayers stopping in front of us as well, of course.”
Palmer recently moved from Newmarket to Cheshire to replace Tom Dascombe at the helm at Michael Owen's Manor House Stables.
Other contenders include Richard Fahey's Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}), who won two Group 1s last season and made a successful return in the G3 Greenham S. at Newbury Apr. 16.
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