Coroebus takes the laurels in vintage 2,000 Guineas

Coroebus prevailed over Native Trail in a top-class renewal of the G1 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday, providing Godolphin with a momentous 1-2 in the first Classic of the UK season.

It was the second time that the royal blue silks have finished first and second in a UK Classic following Mastery and Kite Wood, who were separated by the same margin of three-quarters of a length in the 2009 St Leger.

Coroebus and Native Trail look will remain over a mile for the immediate future, with the winner pencilled in for the G1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. Native Trail is due to return to the Curragh, the scene of his scintillating victory in last year’s G1 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, for the G1 Irish 2,000 Guineas later this month.

An excellent Guineas meeting continued into Sunday as With The Moonlight emerged as a leading G1 Oaks contender with a commanding display in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes.

Friday’s card at Newmarket saw fellow three-year-olds Nations Pride and Noble Truth notch wide-margin Listed wins.

Nations Pride could head to the G1 Prix du Jockey Club after scoring by seven lengths in the Newmarket Stakes, while Noble Truth booked a trip to Royal Ascot for the G1 Commonwealth Cup or G3 Jersey Stakes with a six-length verdict in the King Charles II Stakes.

Yibir could only finish second on the same afternoon’s G2 Jockey Club Stakes, when a small field and a straight course counted against him. Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf hero will return to the United States for the G1 Man o’War Stakes later this month, where the hustle and bustle of a turning track will play to his strengths.

Coroebus was not the only Guineas winner for Godolphin on Saturday, with Character readily taking the G2 Queensland Guineas at Eagle Farm. A step back up to a mile and a half could be on the cards for the son of Teofilo in the G1 Queensland Derby.

Godolphin’s team for the Derby in the UK is expected to take shape over the coming week and a half, with upcoming important trials including Wednesday’s G3 Chester Vase, in which the unbeaten New London lines up.

Walk Of Stars will look to take the same route as Adayar when he tackles the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial, while debut scorer White Wolf could bid to emulate Hurricane Lane with victory in the following week’s G2 Dante Stakes at York.