2000 Guineas Horse-by-Horse analysis

1-BERKSHIRE SHADOW

Jockey: Jason Watson Trainer: Andrew Balding

Came up short after winning first two starts last year, including Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. Addition of tongue-tie didn't bring about a huge amount of improvement on final start, when finishing well behind Native Trail in the Dewhurst, and no guarantees he'll stay this far either. Looks up against it.

2-BOUNDLESS OCEAN

Jockey: Kevin Manning Trainer: JS Bolger

Trainer has pulled the odd Classic rabbit out of his hat over the years but this colt doesn't look like he's cut from that sort of cloth anyway following a narrow maiden success over 2000m at Leopardstown earlier in the month. That made it fifth time lucky but he has very little chance on form in this company.

3-CHECKANDCHALLENGE

Jockey: Daniel Tudhope Trainer: William Knight

Beat a useful type in Aasser (dual winner since) on debut at Wolverhampton in November and created a favourable impression when taking his career record to 2-2 in the Listed Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on his seasonal return.

No doubt he's going the right way quite sharply and should have plenty more to offer but switching from the all-weather to turf in such exalted company first time out is going to make things very difficult in terms of him potentially taking top spot.

4-COROEBUS

Jockey: James Doyle Trainer:

Charlie Appleby

Fascinating prospect who his trainer is adamant will continue to progress throughout the season. Quite where he ends up is hard to guess but he looked a deadly miler with a blistering turn of speed last year so no surprise he's been lined up for this despite the yard also having standout form horse Native Trail. Unfortunate not to be unbeaten following neck defeat in the Royal Lodge and a more patient ride paid off handsomely in the Autumn Stakes when last seen. Looked in great health in recent racecourse gallop and no surprise to see him come with a late dash to pose the favourite a few problems.

5-DUBAWI LEGEND

Jockey: Tom Marquand Trainer: Hugo Palmer

Evidently shows a great deal at home on the gallops and he duly delivered a huge debut run when winning by five lengths at Doncaster last July. Improved on bare form terms when third at York and better still when second to Native Trail in the Dewhurst but then blotted the copybook rather with a low-key effort (got warm beforehand) at the Breeders' Cup in November.

Hard to know quite what to expect but suspect he'll have been trained to the minute for this and his best form gives him a very realistic chance of placing.

6-EYDON

Jockey: David Egan Trainer: Roger Varian

Emerged from relative obscurity to look every inch a Guineas candidate when running away with the Feilden Stakes despite drifting out to 22/1 ahead of that turf debut.

Needs to prove that was just as good as it looked on first inspection but he's obviously improving at a real rate, is proven at the distance and on the course. Hard to weigh up but decent price could temp each-way players.

7- LIGHT INFANTRY

Jockey: Jamie Spencer Trainer: David Simcock

Another unbeaten, lightly raced colt who takes a step up in class. He's also taking a step up in distance and this may be as far as he's going to want to go based on his pedigree (out of a Kyllachy mare).

Form of his Group 3 Horris Hill win at Newbury in October isn't good enough to win this but clearly entitled to have developed further over the winter and he's likely to be covered up and played late so could pick up some of the pieces here if they go hard.

8-LUSAIL

Jockey: Pat Dobbs Trainer: Richard Hannon

Made a perfectly satisfactory return to competitive action when second to Perfect Power in the Greenham this month, proving his Doncaster disappointment at the end of last season to be wrong. Seems to like quick ground and was gaining at the line at Newbury, suggesting he's worth a try over this far. However, small chance sprinting turns out to be where he really excels this year.

9-LUXEMBOURG

Jockey: Ryan Moore Trainer: Aidan O'Brien

Trained by the master who has 10 2000 Guineas wins on the board already so every reason to take this Camelot colt seriously having ended last term winning what has become a very good stepping-stone to this event in Doncaster's Vertem Futurity Trophy. Bred to really come into his own over middle-distances but he's got a long stride and should enjoy this track providing he handles the run into the Dip. Hard to leave from calculations.

10-NATIVE TRAIL

Jockey: William Buick Trainer: Charlie Appleby

Towered above his contemporaries last season with four straight wins, two at the highest level and by decent margins in the end, while he didn't need to improve to land the Craven on his comeback here earlier in the month. Can briefly hit a bit of a flat spot but he finds so generously for pressure that it'll take a monumental performance to lower his colours on this galloping track.

11-PERFECT POWER

Jockey: Christophe Soumillon Trainer: Richard Fahey

Son of the very speedy Ardad whose only defeat after his debut as a two-year-old came when beaten just over a length and looking unlucky in the run at Glorious Goodwood. Signed off 2021 with back-to-back Group One wins at Deauville and Newmarket, and clearly trained on following comeback success when close to his two-year-old peak in the Greenham at Newbury. Stamina for a mile the big question mark but his dam's side of the pedigree offers plenty of hope and no doubting his underlying class will take him a long way into the contest. Has won at the track too.

12-POINT LONSDALE

Jockey: Frankie Dettori Trainer: Aidan O'Brien

Tall reputation at two and appeared to be well on his way to justifying it when winning his first four including the Chesham at Royal Ascot and Group Two Futurity Stakes at the Curragh. However, progress stalled when ultimately slammed by Native Trail in the National Stakes and clearly has ground to make up if that was his true running. Hard to see the move up to a mile proving an issue and his action would suggest he'll really appreciate a genuinely sound surface.

13-ROYAL PATRONAGE

Jockey: Jason Hart Trainer:

Mark Johnston

Memorably reeled in Coroebus close home to nick the Royal Lodge over this course and distance when completing a hat-trick of wins at the end of September. Had earlier finished second (beaten four lengths) to Native Trail in a Sandown maiden so the clues were there for all to see and his final bad run as a juvenile could have been a case of the ground being too testing. Reported to have strengthened up well over the winter and looks highly likely to give a very decent account of himself despite lacking the brilliance of some of these.

14-TACARIB BAY

Jockey: Sean Levey Trainer:

Richard Hannon

Likely to start among the outsiders of the field here having managed only second in the Free Handicap here earlier in the month and his overall body of form needs a lot of improving upon simply to be competitive.

15-THE WIZARD OF EYE Jockey: J F Egan Trainer: JS

Moore

Son of a Guineas winner in Galileo Gold but doesn't look like following the old man's footsteps backed on his form so far at three, including when fifth of six behind some of these rivals in the Greenham. Also looks like he might need a bit more ease in the ground to be seen to best effect.

CONCLUSION

Not only was five-star selection NATIVE TRAIL head-and-shoulders above most of these at two, but he looked incredibly professional and efficient when making a successful start to his new season in the Craven.

He's everything you'd want in a top-class Flat horse as he doesn't over-race and only seems to do enough to get the job done, so he could be set for a long and highly fruitful Classic campaign.

Luxembourg and Coroebus are the obvious dangers, with the former possibly the one able to match the favourite in terms of how much he'll find when push comes to shove in the closing stages. –