Qipco 2000 Guineas day tips

The May bank holiday means that the Guineas meeting is upon us with the first two classics take centre stage over two top class days of racing over the Newmarket Rowley Mile.

Joseph Richardson and Ben Wignall dissect Saturday's card and will hopefully point you in the direction of a few winners:

1:15 Newmarket

Read Ryan Moore On Betting Betfair Handicap (Class 2) 6f

JR: With the absence of Uncle Jumbo, who was originally declared for this race, I don’t see how anything can trouble CREATIVE FORCE here. He won going away over course and distance at the Craven meeting and looks to have improvement left in him, despite an 8lb rise from the handicapper. There may be some value in backing the outsider of the field Perotto to finish second.

BW: He might be up eight pounds after his recent Newmarket win but CREATIVE FORCE is definitely the classiest in this race and he shouldn’t have trouble winning this. Perotto was very highly tried last season but I can see this being a very tactical four-runner affair with William Buick sweeping past them all in the final furlong.

ODDS: Creative Force 11/10

Odds courtesy of Bet365

1.50 Newmarket

"My Oddsboost" On Betfair Suffolk Stakes (Handicap) (Class 2) 1m 1f

BW: Quite a few of these have already had runs this season and I’m going for MASCAT to go one better than he did at Ripon last time when he went down to the very smart Zabeel Champion. He’s up two pounds from his last run but talented claimer Laura Pearson takes five pounds off and this could be the day he gets his head in-front - trainer Ralph Beckett’s horses are going quite well also.

JR: BELL ROCK was a winner on Guineas weekend last season and I see no reason at all why he can’t strike again for Andrew Balding, who has once again got his team fit and firing at the start of this campaign. He has confirmed that a mark of 103 is no hinderance to him, having finished 3rd in the Cambridgeshire over course and distance and William Carver helps taking 5lb off.

ODDS: Mascat 7/1

ODDS: Bell Rock 4/1

2.25 Newmarket

Betfair Palace House Stakes (Group 3) 5f

JR: It could be a very profitable day for Godolphin and LAZULI is definitely the pick. He was beaten by an on form Equilateral out in Meydan over the winter, but doesn’t look to have to overcome that level of opposition here. Came from the Dark and Garrus step up from handicap company and have reached career high marks. The danger to the fav could be the 9 year old Judicial having his first run of the season on turf, who finished second in this race last year.

BW: - This doesn’t look like an extremely strong contest compared to when the wonder sprinter Marsha won it a few years back. Came From The Dark is an interesting proposition stepping up from handicap company but with race fitness back on his side and back on these shores, I fancy LAZULI to take this. He had a decent run recently in Meydan and took out some good races last season at this trip so I think he’s well worth favouritism.

ODDS: Lazuli win 5/2; Judicial e/w 11/2

3.00 Newmarket

Betfair Exchange Jockey Club Stakes (Group 2) 1m 4f

BW: Thunderous would have been interesting stepping up in trip if he didn’t flop last week at Sandown, which will be the reason he’s the rank outsider. Obviously people will be attracted to Al Zaraqaan’s winning sequence but after a second in the 2019 St Leger, SIR RON PRIESTLEY reappeared at Nottingham a few weeks ago after a long layoff to brush off Ocean Wind in a listed contest - and he ended up pushing Stradivarius pretty close indeed at Ascot this week. Mark Johnston’s colt probably wants further than this 12 furlongs as his ideal trip but I still think he gets the better of Pyledriver, who may just need the run.

JR: Dismissed at the start of last season as perhaps an outside winner of the King Edward VII Stakes, Pyledriver proved himself as the leading British middle distance three-year-old with his performance in the Great Voltiguer at York. However, he comes up against a quality field of 4 other runners and in truth I’m in no rush to back him on his reappearance. Sir Ron Priestley won really well on his reappearance after two years off at Nottingham and Al Zaraqaan bolted up in the Rosebery Handicap on the all weather at Kempton. But PABLO ESCOBARR could well be overpriced on his Group 3 winning form at Goodwood and he has form on the Rowley Mile. 9/2 in the without Pyledriver market looks good value.

ODDS: Sir Ron Priestley 2/1

ODDS: Pablo Escobarr 9/2 without favourite (Sky Bet)

3.40 Newmarket

Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series) 1m

BW: This is such a competitive renewal of the Guineas and I really liked Battleground after his juvenile performances and how he looks, but the fact that Ryan Moore has opted for Wembley is very interesting. Of course things don’t always work out - like when Frankie Dettori took a spare ride on fellow Ballydoyle horse St Mark’s Basilica in the Dewhurst and came out on top, but I like the look of THUNDER MOON for Joseph O’Brien. The Zoffany colt looked electric in the National Stakes last year at the Curragh and perhaps the soft ground blunted him somewhat in the Dewhurst. Back on a faster surface though I fancy him to take this - but I also think the Godolphin pair of Master of the Seas and One Ruler could throw up a strong challenge.

JR: This year’s 2000 Guineas has the potential (excuse the pun) to be a classic renewal. The ante-post market has flip flopped in the run up to the event with Godolphin’s One Ruler seemingly the rage following Master of the Seas’ Craven win. With One Ruler said to be working the house down it maybe came as a surprise that William Buick decided to take the ride on Master of the Seas and as a result One Ruler has markedly drifted.

However, the form of the National Stakes and the Dewhurst for me is the strongest and despite being second twice WEMBLEY was most certainly eyecatching on both occasions. Thunder Moon is the speedier horse (representing Joseph O’Brien) but Wembley looks an out and out miler and without knowing how the draw plays out, stall 8 looks good.

ODDS: Thunder Moon 4/1

ODDS: Wembley 7/2

4.15 Newmarket

Betfair Exchange Handicap (Class 2) 6f

BW: Count Otto won a course and distance handicap just a couple of weeks ago and his activeness over the winter may have given him the edge there. But he’s coming up against other race-fit horses here including the re-opposing Chil Chil, but I think Godolphin’s RAAEB will take all the beating here. Jim Crowley has a good record on him, winning three times out of his four rides and the only horse that has finished ahead of him on the turf is Kinross as a juvenile.

JR: No tip

ODDS: Raeeb 7/2

4.50 Newmarket

Betfair Newmarket Stakes (Listed Race)

JR: This looks pretty straight forward. SECRET PROTECTOR is comfortably clear on ratings and the form of his 2nd to Highland Avenue three weeks ago is very solid. He looked like the extra furlong would suit and will be part of plenty of multiples on the day.

BW: The top three in the market all interest me, with Inigo Jones beating what could be a potentially smart Gosden stayer in Highland Rocker last time, who then scored at Ripon on his next start. Mohaafeth’s handicap win at Newmarket was impressive last time but I’m going for the Feilden Stakes form in SECRET PROTECTOR, who finished a length behind stable-mate Highland Avenue after bolting up at Meydan the start before. He’s well-fancied for this though and I can’t see him being beaten.

ODDS: Secret Protector EVS

Joseph Richardson's tips: Ben Wignall's tips:

Creative Force Creative Force

Bell Rock Mascat

Lazuli Lazuli

Pablo Escobarr Sir Ron Priestley

Wembley Thunder Moon

Secret Protector Raeeb

Secret Protector