Godolphin’s Barney Roy second to ‘magnificent’ Churchill at Newmarket’s English 2,000 Guineas

Ryan Moore rides Churchill, right, to win the 2000 English Guineas Stakes at Newmarket. Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images

NEWMARKET, ENGLAND // Godolphin’s three runners had no answer to the pace and power of Churchill, nor the tactical precision of Coolmore, in the English 2,000 Guineas here on Saturday.

Churchill had not been seen since October, but his performance under Ryan Moore in striding a length clear of Godolphin’s Barney Roy and Al Shaqab’s Al Wukair, who was third, will live long in the memory.

The Irish raider became Aidan O’Brien’s eighth winner of the first Classic of the European season, a record, and laid down a marker for his stable companions to aim at over the next few weeks in the lead-up to the Derby at Epsom on June 3.

Churchill is entered in the Dante Stakes, a traditional Derby prep, in two weeks and although he is by Galileo, the dual Derby winner, his dam, Meow, was a decent 1000-metre sprinter.

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O’Brien knows his breeding more than most, however, and it is clear he is eyeing a run at Epsom next month.

“Everyone at home was very happy with the horse which is why we took the chance to come first time, so I’m delighted,” the trainer said.

“He is very relaxed and will probably get as far as you want him to get — he has speed as well, but he has a very relaxed way of racing. He is by Galileo and horses by that sire very rarely lack stamina.”

Moore was uncharacteristically effusive, and had no qualms about the Derby.

“He has a magnificent mind,” he said. “I think he has everything you want in a racehorse — he travels, has speed and loads of class.”

Godolphin relied on Barney Roy, ridden by James Doyle for Richard Hannon, and the Saeed Bin Suroor pair of Dream Castle and Top Score, but the latter missed the break. Saeed Manana’s Law And Order came out of the gates quickly under Martin Harley and harassed Churchill’s stablemate Lancaster Bomber and Donnacha O’Brien, the trainer’s son.

Despite the competition for the lead, there was little real speed on and Churchill was given a beautiful tow in to the latter stages with Moore anchoring his mount just in behind.

Halfway through the race Moore angled for the stands side rail ahead of stablemate Spirit of Valor, who was eighth to Kentucky Derby runner Thunder Snow in the UAE Derby.

There was a cutaway rail put in place on the stands side, and as the field reached it with two furlongs to play out, Lancaster Bomber edged to his right to force his rivals to fan out around him about four horses wide of the Churchill.

It allowed Moore and Churchill a dream uninterrupted run up the inside and with his rivals having to go the long way around Lancaster Bomber Churchill scooted out of the Dip and in to the record books.

“We anticipated there being more pace than there was,” Doyle said. “He is a big baby and he raced a bit awkwardly as he wasn’t used to being in the middle of them.

“Ryan got a nice smooth passage, whereas we were caught in a tangle. He pecked and nearly landed on his head and didn’t handle the Dip at all. Once he met the rising ground he finished off really well.

“A flatter track would definitely suit him better.”

When asked whether he would like to take Churchill on again he said: “I think I was closing with every stride. I do fancy a rematch, definitely, but on a different track.”

Godolphin supremo John Ferguson said that the initial thoughts of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, was to head to Royal Ascot with Barney Roy for the St James’s Palace Stakes next month.

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