Betfred 2000 Guineas |
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| Group 1, Newmarket 15:35 £525,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m, Class 1  |
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1 Ruling Court 9/2
2
Field Of Gold 15/8F
3
Shadow Of Light 6/1
11 ran Distances: ½l, ½l, 3½l
Time: 1m 37.28s (slow by 1.18s)
RULING COURT strikes in the @Betfred 2000 Guineas! pic.twitter.com/RX22jGbpEY
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 3, 2025
It was a familiar scene at Newmarket, but no less impressive for its familiarity. Charlie Appleby, the man with the Midas touch in the spring, landed his third Betfred 2000 Guineas in four years, as Ruling Court—a €2.3 million son of Justify—dug deep to repel a fast-finishing Field Of Gold and crown himself Classic king.
William Buick, who had the pick of Appleby’s powerhouse pair, made the right call. The Godolphin number one sat motionless early, letting the race unfold around him from stall 11, while Kieran Shoemark tracked just one lane inside aboard Craven winner Field Of Gold, biding his time on the Gosden-trained colt.
As they approached the famous Newmarket dip, it was Ruling Court who kicked on—Buick asking, the colt responding, joining battle with Shadow Of Light, his Dewhurst-winning stablemate who had loomed ominously from the far side group. A Classic showdown between the blue silks—Appleby versus Appleby—was suddenly on.
But it was Ruling Court’s stamina and will that told. Shadow Of Light was seen off, and though Field Of Gold thundered home late with Shoemark now in full drive, the line came just in time—half a length the verdict, and Ruling Court the name etched onto the trophy.
It left Appleby full of praise for both his horses and his rider. “It was a tough call for William,” he said. “You don’t get off a champion two-year-old lightly, but we talked it through and got the right horses under the right people. I thought John’s horse would come late, and he did, but Ruling Court was brave.”
The Derby now beckons. Coral clipped Ruling Court into 5-1 for Epsom, and Appleby made no secret of his ambitions. “That’s what we had in mind through the winter. He’s been exciting from the start. We’ll enjoy this and have some proper discussions soon.”
As for Buick, it was back-to-back Guineas wins and a shot of confidence ahead of the summer. “We always thought a lot of him,” he said. “Dubai confirmed it, but today showed he’s got gears and heart. He stays, he lengthens, and he’s only going to improve. You’d have to think Derby.”
And with that, Ruling Court, in just his fourth run, has gone from sales ring star to Classic hero—with bigger stages still to come.
Betfred 2000 Guineas Stakes
(British Champions Series) (Group 1)
£525,000 guaranteed, 3yo only, 1m, Class 1
11 ran
Going: Good, Good to Firm in places
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE WGT TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (11) Ruling Court 3 9-2 Charlie Appleby William Buick 9/2
2 (10) ½ Field Of Gold 3 9-2 John & Thady Gosden Kieran Shoemark 15/8F
3 (2) ½ Shadow Of Light 3 9-2 Charlie Appleby Mickael Barzalona 6/1
4 (6) 3½ Tornado Alert 3 9-2 Saeed bin Suroor Silvestre De Sousa 50/1
5 (5) 1½ Wimbledon Hawkeye 3 9-2 James Owen Harry Davies 16/1
6 (7) ¾ Green Impact 3 9-2 Mrs John Harrington Shane Foley 12/1
7 (1) ¾ Scorthy Champ 3 9-2 Joseph O'Brien Dylan Browne McMonagle 8/1
8 (4) nk Yah Mo Be There 3 9-2 Richard Spencer Jamie Spencer 66/1
9 (3) 1¼ Expanded 3 9-2 A P O'Brien Ryan Moore 5/1
10 (9) shd Benevento 3 9-2 Raphael E Freire David Egan 66/1
11 (8) 6½ Seagulls Eleven 3 9-2 Hugo Palmer Tom Marquand 40/1
