2000 Guineas: Notable Speech "fastest miler I've ever ridden," says Buick

maintained his unbeaten record by running out a ready winner of the Qipco 2000 Guineas, remarkably landing the opening Classic of the season at Newmarket on his turf debut for jockey William Buick, trainer Charlie Appleby and owners Godolphin. 

City Of Troy, last season's champion juvenile and the odds-on favourite, was under pressure at around the half-way stage and trailed home in ninth as the Richard Hannon-trained duo of Rosallion and Haatem took second and third, with Ghostwriter finishing fourth for trainer Clive Cox. 

Speaking to ITV Racing, Buick said: "I've not known him for that long - I came back from Dubai in February - but I've had that much belief in him.  

"Sometimes you go home at night and think 'have I lost the plot altogether?'  

"His change of gear is incredible.

"The race couldn't have worked out any better and he's done nothing but improve. 

"He's an out and out miler, he's got a great mindset and he's all about speed. I really think he's a horse that's going to keep improving as well.

“He is a great horse. He’s a proper miler and he’s certainly the fastest miler I’ve ever ridden - I think he can do things other horses can’t with his turn of foot.

“We’ll see where he goes next. All the top mile races will be on his agenda I would assume.” 

On winning the 2000 Guineas for the first time, the rider confessed his delight at finally satisfying an itch he's long wanted to scratch. 

"I've gone close a few times and I'm delighted. These races are incredibly hard to win - they're supposed to be - but I'm so overjoyed."

Appleby added: "To be frank, you don't see many come off the all-weather to Guineas success.

"We've given him all the time he needed, and that time just to be a racehorse.

"A few lads sat on him last year and said 'he's a nice horse' but he was far too weak to do anything with. I'm in a privileged position to be able give them the time they need.

“He came out on the all-weather there and we all know what he did – he was three from three – in that last start, I think he put a bit of a ‘wow factor’ into what he achieved, with his acceleration.

“William did say ‘I think he’s a French Guineas’ horse because he’s quick, and so therefore we toyed with whether to go there. We were waiting for the Craven to see how the Guineas picture would formulate and we decided to put him in the Guineas.

“We brought him here for a racecourse gallop to give ourselves more confidence in running the horse and that morning here, he was exciting.” 

On what this success meant, Appleby said: "It's very important. 

"This sort of a race with a homebred son of Dubawi, it's immensely important - and for the team, it's what they deserve." 

Trainer Richard Hannon admitted to his disappointment at falling short with his pair in the Qipco 2000 Guineas but said he was "delighted" with both runner-up Rosallion and third Haatem. 

"Two extremely good horses, they make me and everyone in the yard proud and their owners proud," he told Racing TV's Tom Stanley.

"We've come up against a very good horse and we'll take him on again through the season. 

"There are so many good days in these two horses to go through the year and I'm looking forward to it hugely. 

"I'm disappointed not to win, but that's life. 

"They will win a lot of races through the year and give us a lot of pleasure. 

"In half an hour I'll look back and think 'what a great day', but right now...

“Rosallion travelled so well and he got to the front and looked like he was going to win. I don’t think he needed it – he hasn’t blown up as he has done loads of work. He’s still an extremely good horse and I’d love to take the winner on again around a bend at Royal Ascot in the St James’s Palace Stakes and we’ll also look at going to Ireland.

“I think this is probably the best Guineas we have seen in 10 years.” 

Asked if City Of Troy’s performance was “almost too bad to be true”, trainer Aidan O’Brien said: “There’s no doubt about that. He wasn’t overblown so we’ll have to take him home and see.”

When asked if he was shocked by the run, his trainer added: “Of course. Obviously we wouldn’t have brought him here if we thought he was going to do that. It’s not his run but we’ll see what happened and why that happened.

“He got upset in the stalls which Ryan said was very unusual for him. He’s usually very calm but there you go.

“He was in last but he wasn’t in last by design, so it wasn’t that he was in there too long. Obviously that’s just the way the stalls fell.”

O’Brien was also asked about his decision to have City Of Troy in the parade ring early and he laughed: “Maybe I shouldn’t have! He won’t be the next day!

“Everything was always straightforward with him. All we can do is try and find out what happened and not let it happen again. Isn’t that reality? Sorry about that everyone.”