O’Brien targets further 2000 Guineas success
Churchill worthy favourite in the main event
An action-packed Saturday of horse racing is headlined by the 2017 renewal of the 2000 Guineas. Newmarket’s grade one spectacle, due to post at 3.35pm, sees a competitive 10-runner field line-up, and you can back your winner right here at Coral.
Click now to have your say on the main event, or to bet on all of Saturday’s horse racing. We give a selection in each of Newmarket’s seven races at the foot of this page, designed to boost your multiples, or read on as we pick out our NAP of the day in the big one.
Jolly in the winning habit
Aidan O’Brien holds a strong hand in the 2000 Guineas, as he aims to take the title won by Galileo Gold 12 months ago. The popular Irishman does boast a fearsome record in this event, taking the prize seven times before, including with Gleneagles in 2015.
That seems to hold plenty of weight with Coral’s odds compilers this year, and they have main hope Churchill chalked up as a strong favourite going in to the day. The three-year-old colt arrives at track on a stunning recent run, aiming for six wins on the bounce.
Last seen taking the Dewhurst Stakes around here late last year by just over a length, he edged out the big price Lancaster Bomber, who re-opposes again here. Running an inch-perfect race, the product of Galileo was delivered in the nick of time by Ryan Moore, but the most eye-catching aspect of that win was the way Churchill was seen staying on when it mattered most, and that’s fast becoming a habit of his in the big races.
Best form of the field
That leads punters to believe he will handle the budge up in distance without any trouble, and if running to the best of his ability, he fully deserves to be trader’s pick. That Dewhurst victory is, by far, the best form of the field here, and the booking of Ryan Moore back in the saddle goes as another big tick in his box.
Broken down – a bet on Churchill may see you take the favourite, but it will also give backers the well-bred form horse of the field, with a trainer boasting an incredible 2000 guineas CV, under the guidance of a jockey who is no stranger to the Newmarket winner’s enclosure.
Our horse racing team have Churchill trading 5/4 at the time of writing, and he’s already been nibbled in from the 11/8 opening offer.
Newmarket Selections
1.50 – Ballet Concerto
2.20 – Profitable
2.55 – Seventh Heaven
3.35 – Churchill
4.10 – Victory Angel
4.45 – Khalidi
5.20 – Andok
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