There is no doubt Native Trial is a worthy favourite for the 2000 Guineas, but Steve Ryder wonders whether he is backable at such a short price.
Steve Ryder on Native Trail challengers
The unbeaten son of Oasis Dream ended last season with two Group 1 victories in the National Stakes at the Curragh and the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket - both of those races over 7f.
He looked like a step up in trip to a mile would suit him well with this season as he always produced his best in the closing stages of races and that proved the case when he made a winning reappearance in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket earlier this month.
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Native Trail lands the Craven Stakes and extends his unbeaten run. Next up, the 2000 Guineas.
He's been cut from 9/4 to 6/4 in places with 2/1 still available.
@RacingTV pic.twitter.com/qTsvHPTBa1
Charlie Appleby has started this season in fantastic form and he has the two favourites in Native Trail and Coroebus with William Buick deciding to ride the unbeaten colt.
Perfect Power made a winning reappearance in the Greenham Stakes but I have my doubts about him staying the mile and I think the biggest danger to the Godolphin pair will be the Aidan O’Brien trained Luxembourg. His trainer has won this race a record 10 times and he comes here unbeaten having won all three starts as a two-year-old.
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He justified favouritism in the Vertem Futurity Stakes at Doncaster and bids to follow in the footsteps of Kameko, Magna Grecia, Saxon Warrior and Camelot who all went on to win the 2000 Guineas the following season on their reappearance.
At the prices I would prefer to back Luxembourg even though Native Trail does look like he will prove hard to beat in the first classic of the season.
Andy Holding agrees…
Writing as part of his ante-post preview for Saturday's 2000 Guineas and Sunday's 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, Holding said this about the form of Luxembourg:
"His (Native Trail) main danger on all known form is Luxembourg and he too arrives at HQ with an unbeaten record under his belt. Hugely impressive when he won the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh on just his second outing, the son of Camelot was a little more workmanlike in landing his Group 1 at Doncaster on his final start, but as the ground that day wouldn’t have played into his strengths, the fact he still came through with flying colours says a lot for his pure class.
"Reportedly said to have done well over the winter and gone well in several recent racecourse gallops, his devastating turn of foot could turn out to be the key component in the final analysis."
