Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby will put Native Trail’s perfect record on the line in a bid to claim the Group 1 2000 Guineas, the first English Classic of the year, at Newmarket on Saturday.
The Oasis Dream colt is unbeaten in five starts. He rounded off his two-year-old campaign with four wins, including the Group 1s Vincent O’Brien Stakes and the Dewhurst Stakes.
Reappearing for the season, he extended his perfect sequence by winning the Group 3 Craven Stakes over the track and trip on April 13.
Appleby is double handed in the race with Coroebus, who goes into the race having won twice and finished runner up in his three races last year.
Native Trail, drawn in Stall 15, is the stable's first jockey William Buick’s choice and James Doyle is aboard the Dubawi colt, who is drawn in Stall 1.
“We are delighted with Native Trail and Coroebus heading into the 2000 Guineas,” Appleby told godolphin.com.
“William and James rode them in a breeze on Wednesday and both horses looked great.
“Native Trail’s preparation has been faultless and he has definitely come forward since the Craven Stakes. With the stalls in the centre of the track, being drawn 15 doesn’t worry me at all – he is the class horse in the field and William knows him very well.
“He holds everything in front of him in that he is an unbeaten dual Group 1 winner and we are very much looking forward to him hopefully winning a Classic.”
Coroebus made a winning debut on the track and trip. He went down by a neck to Royal Patronage in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes in his next start and bounced back to claim the Group 3 Autumn Stakes.
“Coroebus is drawn on the other side in Stall 1, so I’d like to think that we have both angles covered!” Appleby added.
“His preparation has also been perfect and we got exactly what we wanted out of his racecourse gallop. He has certainly come on for that piece of work and stepping up to this level will tell us where we are for the future.
“They are two very exciting colts. Native Trail is an unbeaten champion juvenile while Coroebus is a homebred, which adds a little bit of extra excitement for the team.
“The one thing we do know is that they have both won over the course and distance, so we don’t have any concerns over stamina and handling Newmarket.”
Aidan O’Brien, bidding for a 11th success in the race, is double handed with the unbeaten Luxembourg with Ryan Moore in the saddle and Point Lonsdale with Frankie Dettori atop.
Perfect Power and Dubawi Legend carry the hopes of Dubai’s Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum and Dr Ali Ridha, respectively.
