Charlie Appleby had made little secret of his nagging feeling that Coroebus could have the beating of Native Trail, last season’s champion juvenile, in their three-year-old season, so there could be no complaints from favourite-backers as the 5-1 shot beat the 5-4 market leader in the 2,000 Guineas here.
The 1-2 was Appleby’s first success in the Newmarket Classic, the first defeat of Native Trail’s career and a clear sign that Appleby will mount a strong defence of the Flat trainer’s championship, which he won for the first time in 2021. James Doyle, meanwhile, went into the race without a victory to his name in any of the British Classics and memories of near-misses in the 2,000 Guineas aboard Kingman and Barney Roy.
When it finally arrived, Doyle’s first Classic success could not have been more straightforward, as Coroebus travelled easily throughout, hit the front inside the final quarter-mile and then readily held the late challenge of Native Trail by three-quarters of a length.
William Buick, Native Trail’s jockey and a close friend of Doyle, was the first to congratulate him. “William just came up to me and said, ‘You deserved that one’,” Doyle said.
“He could see how much it meant to me. I was emotional and we’re the best of friends and it’s tough out there.
“He travelled incredibly strong throughout. Around the two [furlong pole] something joined me quite quick and I just asked him a couple of questions going into the Dip and he responded incredibly. He hit the line great and showed a potent turn of foot.
“It forced my hand early. If that didn’t happen I could have afforded to be even cheekier and he would have won even more impressively.”
Appleby’s feeling was that both colts will stick to racing at around a mile, with Native Trail likely to head to the Irish 2,000 Guineas while Coroebus waits for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot in mid-June.
“James is an integral part of the team and for him to have his first British Classic for us is very special because he is such a great team player,” Appleby said. “He has to sit there and see William getting first choice all the time and I never ever see him quiver or get upset. Off he goes and rides the same race, day in day out. I take my hat off to him, as he is a true sportsman.
“It is a nice discussion to have with the team but I would let this horse go straight to the St James’s Palace Stakes and let Native Trail go back to the Curragh where we have seen him be impressive before and take him over to the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
Coroebus and Native Trail are available at double-figure odds for the Derby on 4 June, but the big eye-catcher with the Epsom Classic in mind was Luxembourg, last season’s Vertem Futurity winner at Doncaster.
Aidan O’Brien’s colt, a son of Camelot, the 2012 Derby winner, was outpaced and towards the rear of the field at halfway but stayed on strongly in the final quarter to finish another length-and-a-half behind Native Trail in third.
Luxembourg is now top-priced at 11-4 for Epsom, with the Queen’s colt Reach For The Moon, at 8-1, the only other contender quoted at a single-figure price. Appleby’s New London, the easy winner of a novice event at the Craven meeting, is a 10-1 chance and is entered in Derby trials at Chester and York over the next two weeks.
Newmarket: 1.15 Warminster, 1.50 Cemhaan (nb), 2.25 Crenelle, 3.00 Ebaiyra, 3.40 Tuesday, 4.15 Stormy Ocean, 4.50 Dynamic Talent (nap).
Hamilton: 1.30 Morty, 2.05 Annandale, 2.35 Gis A Sub, 3.10 Goodwood Glen, 3.47 Ba Na Hills, 4.21 Cubana Habana, 4.56 Twice Adaay.
Salisbury: 2.10 Luna Magic, 2.40 Oman, 3.17 Evolicatt, 3.52 Jimi Hendrix, 4.27 Le Forban, 5.02 Chairman, 5.35 Queen Aminatu.
“We were delighted with Luxembourg,” O’Brien said. “The lads had the plan to come here and then we’d go to the Derby. I don’t think there’s anything that would change that but obviously we’ll see how the horse is after today.
“We knew he was a middle-distance horse, so we were delighted with that run.
Everything went perfect over the winter and Ryan [Moore, his jockey] was delighted. He said he just stepped half a length slow out of the stalls and it lost him a length or two.
“We always thought he was the type of horse who was going to be comfortable over a mile-and-a-quarter, moving up to a mile-and-a-half, so it was the perfect start.”
Tuesday can soar to Sunday glory in 1,000 Guineas
There is an Inspiral-shaped hole in the field for the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket after last year’s joint-champion juvenile filly was ruled out of the Classic last week, but in her absence, it is a more open and engaging puzzle for punters to solve with Aidan O’Brien’s Tenebrism, the Cheveley Park Stakes winner, heading the market at around 3-1.
Tenebrism’s success over the last six furlongs of the Rowley Mile in September is the best piece of form on offer, but she is by a sprinter and out of a miler, and has another two furlongs to cover on Sunday.
It is difficult to take her stamina on trust at relatively short odds, and all the more so when there are a host of alternatives, ranging from fillies with Group One form as juveniles – Discoveries, Malavath, Zellie and Wild Beauty – to lightly-raced fillies with scope for significant improvement.
Tuesday (3.40), a stable companion of Tenebrism, is from the latter group, but was touched off by Discoveries, the subsequent Moyglare winner, on debut in June before winning a maiden in a canter at Naas in March. With plenty of improvement likely, she is an attractive bet at around 6-1 to emulate her full sister, Minding, the Guineas winner in 2016.
Newmarket 1.50: Cemhaan showed plenty of improvement from four to five on his return at Salisbury last month and has an obvious chance to follow up under a 5lb penalty.
Newmarket 2.25: Seven lightly-raced runners for the Pretty Polly Stakes with any amount of improvement to come. Crenelle’s race-fitness may just tip the balance in her favour.
Hamilton 2.35: Gis A Sub has several pounds in hand of his three rivals on his form in last season’s Gimcrack at York and that should be enough for a successful three-year-old debut.
Salisbury 2.40: Oman won first time up last year and can continue his steady progress at staying trips as a three-year-old.
Newmarket 3.00: Ebaiyra has placed form at Group One level and should be sharper for her recent run at Longchamp.
