Ruling Court pulled a rare Guineas double when capturing the English 2000 Guineas on Saturday at Newmarket, his first start since an overwhelming victory at Meydan Racecourse in the Jumeirah 2000 Guineas – and looked like a special horse doing it.
Held near the back of the field in the straight-mile Guineas, Ruling Court, a Godolphin homebred, cruised into contention with about three furlongs to run before deploying superior acceleration in the penultimate furlong that winged him to the lead and on to victory.
Favored Field of Gold did his best work too late but nabbed second from a second Godolphin colt, Shadow of Light. The first three home all looked legitimate. Shadow of Light might top out as a miler, but the first two finishers ran like horses who will handle longer distances.
It was the sixth win in the first Classic of the European flat season for Godolphin. Ruling Court’s jockey wore a white hat, not the blue one that denotes their highest-rated entrant, but nonetheless top stable jockey William Buick rode the winner. Buick ceded the mount on classy Shadow of Light to Mickael Barzalona.
Trainer Charlie Appleby won his third 2000 Guineas, all coming in the last four years, Buick his second following Notable Speech’s tally a year ago. Ruling Court ($11.70) is by Justify out of Inchargeofme, by High Chaparral. He gave Godolphin Classic wins on consecutive days on two continents, the Guineas following Friday’s victory in the Kentucky Oaks with Good Cheer.
Field of Gold traveled in hand and comfortably throughout the early and middle stages, but when jockey Kieran Shoemark finally called on him, Field of Gold, a mountain of a colt, could not match Ruling Court’s turn of foot. He did eat into the margin through the uphill finish, coming within a half-length at the line, the same margin separating second and third. A rematch between the top two could come next month at Epsom in the Derby.
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