Ruling Court wins 2000 Guineas at Newmarket

Ruling Court won the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket as he held off the fast-finishing Field Of Gold.

The 9-2 shot, trained for owners Godolphin by Charlie Appleby, was the pick of jockey William Buick and proved the right choice.

Stablemate Shadow Of Light led in the closing stages but eventually finished third with another Godolphin runner, Tornado Alert, in fourth.

"This feels great. He was so smooth throughout - he's a special horse and his stamina shone through," said Buick of the victor.

It was a third 2000 Guineas win in four years for Appleby, after victories for Coroebus (2022) and Notable Speech (2024).

Buick chose Ruling Court, an impressive six-length winner in Dubai in March, over last year's champion juvenile Shadow Of Light.

"It was a hard choice for William, but he saw it right. He thought this horse would see out the mile trip and he outstayed them," said Appleby.

Ruling Court is about 5-1 second favourite for next month's Derby at Epsom, behind The Lion In Winter - who won the Acomb Stakes at York last August when the Guineas winner was third.

Field Of Gold, ridden by Kieran Shoemark, was sent off the 11-8 favourite having been an impressive winner of the Craven Stakes over course and distance last month.

The gray was bidding to give John Gosden, who now trains alongside son Thady, a first 2000 Guineas winner in an illustrious career.

But he could not make up the ground after Buick had sent Ruling Court clear and went down by half a length in the first Classic of the British Flat racing season.

"William's got first run on us. He's finished very strongly but lack of pace and probably a little bit too far back in the field. He's run out of track," said Gosden senior.

"William had a length and a half on us, that's made a difference in the end. That's racing. The pace wasn't quite what we'd thought it would be and probably just needed to be a bit handier."