The Group 1 2000 Guineas (1600m) is the first Classic of the British racing season and will take place on the famous Rowley Mile, the scene of some extraordinary performances.

In the past ten years, the race has been dominated by trainers Charlie Appleby and Aidan O’Brien, who have won three renewals apiece since 2016. Appleby, who trains for Godolphin, has taken the prize three times in the last four years and will be dually represented at the top of the market by Distant Storm and King’s Trail.

The two colts embody very different profiles: Distant Storm finished third in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes (1400m) at the end of his juvenile season whilst King’s Trail is two-from-two on the all-weather, a route taken by Appleby’s 2024 winner Notable Speech.

“There is no doubt in mind a mile is no problem at all for Distant Storm,” said Appleby, during a racecourse gallop morning. “Physically he has done well. I was keen to get [King’s Trail] on the turf and visually I have to say I’m happy with what I’ve seen there.”

Aidan O’Brien’s recent three 2000 Guineas winners all came to Newmarket on seasonal reappearance and a similar path has been forged with likely candidate Gstaad (image). Gstaad ended juvenile campaign with top-level victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (1600m).

“Gstaad looks like a mile horse, he could even get a mile-and-a-quarter”, said O’Brien.

George Boughey will also be hoping to continue the trend of winning a 2000 Guineas on three-year-old reappearance with unbeaten stable star Bow Echo.

"He is a horse that is very good fresh,” he explained. “I just didn’t need to trial him, and I haven’t.”

Of the horses who have been given a prep race for the 2000 Guineas, the John and Thady Gosden-trained Oxagon was a comfortable winner in the course and distance Group 2 Craven Stakes (1600m) with Roger Varian’s Avicenna in second. They could be joined by Group 2 Greenham Stakes (1400m) victor, the Karl Burke-trained Alparslan and promising fourth from the same race, William Haggas’ Needle Match.

Photo: Breeders' Cup