"They're high-class horses" - William Buick faces 2000 Guineas dilemma

The Betfred British Classics get underway on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket this weekend with The Betfred Guineas Festival.

On Saturday 3rd May it’s the £525,000 Group One Betfred 2000 Guineas that takes centre stage. The mile colts’ Classic was first run in 1809 and in 2025 will be staged for the 217th occasion.

Last year saw Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby register his second 2000 Guineas winner in three years when Notable Speech followed on from the 2022 victory of Coroebus. 

The rider on board Notable Speech was William Buick, the UK champion Flat jockey in 2022 and 2023. It was a first victory in the historic contest for the now 36-year-old, who had already tasted Classic glory in the Derby aboard Masar (2018) and in the St Leger with Arctic Cosmos (2010), Masked Marvel (2011) and Hurricane Lane (2021).

This year Buick has a tough call to make as to his mount in the Betfred 2000 Guineas with the Charlie Appleby-trained pair of Shadow Of Light and

Ruling Court

both featuring among the 17 confirmations revealed today. 

Shadow Of Light is already in the record books after an amazing juvenile campaign which saw him become only the third horse in history to win both of Newmarket’s autumn Group One colts’ races – the six-furlong Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes and the Darley Dewhurst Stakes over a furlong further.

Ruling Court ran twice in the UK last summer, including when recording a dazzling debut victory at Sandown Park. The Justify colt already has a Guineas victory to his name in 2025, having landed the UAE version at Meydan by a facile five lengths at the start of March.

Betfred marginally prefer Ruling Court in Saturday’s race, making him a 7-1 chance with Shadow Of Light on 8-1.

Speaking in his role as Ambassador for The Jockey Club’s East Region, Buick said today: “I haven’t made a decision yet as to what I will ride in the Betfred 2000 Guineas.

“Obviously both Shadow Of Light and Ruling Court are in the race. Shadow Of Light is a champion two-year-old and Dewhurst winner so it’s an obvious race for him to go for. Ruling Court is a horse we don’t know as much about but he won the Guineas in Dubai on Super Saturday when he couldn’t have done any more.

“Charlie and I feel they both deserve to be in the Betfred 2000 Guineas. It is a hugely important race and going to be hugely competitive. There are horses in there that have run in and won trials but most of them we haven’t seen yet this year and that is always the thing with both of the Guineas races – you just never really know.

“I have ridden both Shadow Of Light and Ruling Court this year and you would have to be pleased with both of them. They are two very straightforward and high-class horses. I don’t know if I will get to sit on either of them before declarations time on Thursday – that will be Charlie’s call.”

On the issue of stamina for Shadow Of Light, a son of Lope De Vega, Buick added: “If you go back to his Dewhurst win, that was on pretty soft ground. Obviously, his class told that day but equally he had to stay with the way the race unfolded and while you never know until you try, you would have to be pretty hopeful a straight mile on good ground should not be a problem for him.”

Reflecting on his success aboard Notable Speech 12 months’ ago, Buick commented: “It was a Classic win and the Classics are our most important races. I had come close a couple of times before so it was very nice to get a 2000 Guineas win.

“When Notable Speech won last year, he won in very exciting style. It was a great day and one I will never forget.”

In the £525,000 Group One Betfred 1000 Guineas on Sunday (May 4th) Buick has no decision to make with his mount set to be Betfred’s current 10-11 Favourite Desert Flower, one of 15 confirmations received today for the mile fillies’ Classic. 

A daughter of Night Of Thunder, who won the 2000 Guineas a decade ago, Desert Flower won all four of her starts in 2024. After two seven-furlong wins on the July Course at Newmarket, she made a successful step up in class and distance to win the mile Group Two Betfred May Hill Stakes at Doncaster and then ended the campaign with her greatest victory so far with a five and a half length success in the Group One bet365 Fillies’ Mile on the Rowley Mile in October. 

Buick said: “Desert Flower was excellent last year and just kept on improving all season right the way through to the Fillies’ Mile, where she probably posted her most impressive win of the year.

“She has done nothing wrong and obviously having won on the track as a two-year-old is a help.

“She looks great and I think Charlie and the team have been very happy with her all throughout the winter. 

“She had a nice spin on the track at the Craven Meeting. She wasn’t asked any serious questions but she felt very comfortable doing what she did. 

“To ride her, she is a very straightforward filly and can do whatever really. She is super genuine and gives you everything.”

Slightly younger than the 2000 Guineas, the 1000 Guineas first took place in 1814 with this year’s running being the 212th.

Talking about the importance of the Betfred Guineas Festival and the special place it holds in the racing calendar, Buick concluded: “The Betfred Guineas Festival is something you are talking and thinking about all winter.

“As soon as the Dewhurst and the major two-year-old races are run, you start thinking about the Guineas. 

“They are both hugely important races and in many ways that is where it all starts for the season ahead – when we really get into the thick of it. We go from the Guineas to the Derby trials and then the Derby and Royal Ascot – it all rolls on from there.”

Benevento (IRE) 3 9 2 Amo Racing Limited & Giselle de Aguiar Raphael Freire David Egan

Camille Pissarro (IRE) 3 9 2 Tabor/Smith/Mrs J Magnier/Brant Aidan O'Brien Ireland 

Cosmic Year 3 9 2 Juddmonte Harry Charlton 

Expanded (IRE) 3 9 2 Coolmore/Westerberg/Mrs A. M. O'Brien Aidan O'Brien Ireland 

Field of Gold (IRE) 3 9 2 Juddmonte John & Thady Gosden 

Green Impact (IRE) 3 9 2 Marcstown Farms SC Mrs J. Harrington Ireland 

Henri Matisse (IRE) 3 9 2 Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/Smith/Merriebelle Aidan O'Brien Ireland 

Jonquil 3 9 2 Juddmonte Andrew Balding 

Ruling Court (USA) 3 9 2 Godolphin Charlie Appleby 

Scorthy Champ (IRE) 3 9 2 Rectory Road H. Ltd/B Fowler/A.M.O'Brien Joseph Patrick O'Brien Ireland 

Seagulls Eleven (IRE) 3 9 2 Two Plus Three Two Plus Four Hugo Palmer 

Serengeti (FR) 3 9 2 D Smith/Mrs Magnier/M Tabor/P Brant Aidan O'Brien Ireland 

Shadow of Light 3 9 2 Godolphin Charlie Appleby 

Tornado Alert (IRE) 3 9 2 Godolphin Saeed bin Suroor 

Twain (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien Ireland 

Wimbledon Hawkeye 3 9 2 The Gredley Family James Owen Harry Davies

Yah Mo Be There 3 9 2 Phil Cunningham Richard Spencer Jamie Spencer

2-1 Field Of Gold

5-1 Twain

7-1 Ruling Court, Scorthy Champ

8-1 Shadow Of Light

10-1 Expanded

14-1 Cosmic Year, Green Impact, Jonquil

16-1 Henri Matisse

25-1 Wimbledon Hawkeye

40-1 Camille Pissarro, Seagulls Eleven

50-1 Yah Mo Be There

66-1 Tornado Alert

80-1 Benevento

100-1 Serengeti

Bedtime Story (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Aidan O'Brien Ireland 

Chantez (IRE) 3 9 2 Newtown Anner Stud Farm G. M. Lyons Ireland 

Chantilly Lace (IRE) 3 9 2 Mrs Doreen Tabor Ralph Beckett Rossa Ryan

Desert Flower (IRE) 3 9 2 Godolphin Charlie Appleby 

Duty First 3 9 2 Victorious Racing Archie Watson Hollie Doyle

Elwateen (IRE) 3 9 2 Shadwell Estate Company Ltd Saeed bin Suroor 

Exactly (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Aidan O'Brien Ireland 

Flight 3 9 2 Cornthrop Bloodstock Limited Ollie Sangster 

Hey Boo 3 9 2 Mr J. Mitchell Jack Channon George Bass

Janey Mackers (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr AJ Walls David Menuisier 

Lake Victoria (IRE) 3 9 2 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien Ireland 

Merrily (USA) 3 9 2 Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Aidan O'Brien Ireland 

Red Letter 3 9 2 Juddmonte G. M. Lyons Ireland 

Remaat 3 9 2 Prince A. A. Faisal Andrew Balding 

Simmering 3 9 2 Al Shaqab Racing Ollie Sangster

10-11 Desert Flower

7-2 Lake Victoria

5-1 Red Letter

12-1 Bedtime Story

14-1 Duty First

20-1 Exactly

25-1 Chantilly Lace

33-1 Chantez, Flight

40-1 Elwateen, Hey Boo

50-1 Simmering, Janey Mackers

66-1 Merrily, Remaat