Qipco 2000 Guineas
Group 1, Newmarket 15:40
£500,000 guaranteed,
3yo only,
1m, Class 1  
Saturday 4th May 2024

Boylesports

The future looks bright for Ghostwriter after taking Newmarket’s Royal Lodge Stakes for Clive Cox on September 30.

Having impressed in his first two outings, the son of Invincible Spirit took the step up to both a mile and Group Two level in his stride to run out a convincing winner in the hands of Richard Kingscote when up against a useful cast on the Rowley Mile.

The victory puts the colt in the picture for next year’s Classics, with the youngster as short as 12-1 for the 2000 Guineas and 16/1 for the Derby and his handler has been delighted with his progress throughout his juvenile campaign.

“He showed improvement from his first run with how he ran under a penalty at Ascot and this was a bigger step up again,” said Cox.

“He acquitted himself very impressively and backed up our hopes and thoughts from what we had been seeing at home.”

Ghostwriter’s Royal Lodge success earns him a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf if connections wish, while he also holds an entry for the Group One Futurity Trophy at Doncaster before the season ends.

Although refusing to completely rule out those options, Cox is minded to think to the future with his talented prospect and would have no qualms about now taking stock with the Jeff Smith-owned two-year-old and returning next spring with his 100 per cent record intact.

FormRatings

“I’m pleased to report he has come home well,” continued Cox.

“We’ll discuss it further with Jeff in the meantime. Most importantly we will follow the horse’s appearance and well-being over the next week or so and that would be the guiding light really.

“While I am happy with him, I think physically, he has a big frame to mature into even more and I would definitely be inclined to be thinking from a physical point of view he will be a better horse next year and I’m really excited about the future.”

On the prospect of heading to Santa Anita next month, he added: “I think at this stage of his life that would be a huge step and with his size and scope and being so exciting for the future, I would just be very proud of what he has achieved so far this year.

“The level of expectation is such an exciting thought going forwards that it is a bigger picture than tomorrow and it is more about thinking further down the line.”

Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes
(British Champions Series) (Group 1)
£500,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m, Class 1
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