O'Brien Enters Three in QIPCO 2,000 Guineas

While he will be in Louisville to saddle Mendelssohn in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), Aidan O'Brien will be triple-handed in his bid to add another QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas Stakes (G1) to his résumé at Newmarket May 5, with a field of 14 colts heading to post for the 210th running of the mile classic.

The trainer has tasted success in the race on eight previous occasions and taken out three of the past five editions. Gustav Klimt shot to the top of most bookmakers' lists when making a winning return to action in the Ballylinch Stud Two Thousand Guineas Trial Stakes at seven furlongs at Leopardstown April 14. The son of Galileo had been off the track for 273 days prior to that run, having last been seen overcoming a troubled passage when scoring in the bet365 Superlative Stakes (G2) at Newmarket's July course the previous summer.

Ryan Moore—the colt's jockey for all four career starts—is absent, having preferred the option of partnering Mendelssohn in the Kentucky Derby. Seamie Heffernan takes the ride. 

"We were anxious to get a run into him as he had not run since Newmarket in the middle of the summer," O'Brien said. "We would have liked to have run him in the Dewhurst to find out a little bit more about him, so were a little bit in the dark. It was soft ground, very heavy really, and probably not ideal, but we felt we needed to run him. We always thought he would prefer better ground, and he did well to quicken on the ground. Ryan rode him in the July meeting last year and was very, very full of him. You are never sure, but we were delighted with his run in Leopardstown. We think and hope he's in good form."

No Ballylinch Stud Two Thousand Guineas Trial Stakes winner has gone on to take the Newmarket version of the Guineas since Refuse To Bend in 2003. All of O'Brien's recent Guineas winners were making their season debuts, having capped juvenile campaigns with group 1 scores. Saxon Warrior fits this profile, having finished his three-start unbeaten 2-year-old career with a neck success at Doncaster in the Racing Post Trophy Stakes (G1) over a mile. The son of Deep Impact is reunited with jockey Donnacha O'Brien, who rides for the first time since the pair combined to take a mile maiden at the Curragh in August.

"We've probably never had a horse to change so much over winter as he has—he's turned into a monster of a horse—big, powerful and strong," Aidan O'Brien said. "He's going to run a long way off his 2-year-old weight, but his work is very nice and we are very happy with him. We think he will get further than a mile. It will be a nice place to start him, and we look forward to him for the rest of the year. He looks a very unusual horse at the moment, how much he has changed from 2 to 3, but we have to start somewhere."

Both colts race under the Coolmore banner and are owned in different combinations by Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith. O'Brien also sends out Coolmore's Murillo.

Godolphin has not enjoyed the same Two Thousand Guineas success as their arch rivals over the past couple of decades, with their royal blue silks coming home in front in only two of the past 21 renewals. They are represented by impressive bet365 Craven Stakes (G3) winner Masar. 

That score was the Charlie Appleby-trained colt's first victory since landing the BetBright Solario Stakes (G3) at Sandown over seven furlongs in September and was a big step up from a lackluster return to action in Meydan the previous month, when trailing home 41 lengths behind the winner in the Al Bastakiya Sponsored by emirates.com when trying dirt for the first time. Jockey William Buick maintains the association, and his trainer is looking forward to a good performance from the son of New Approach, "Based on what we saw in the Craven, we must hope that he is a serious contender," Appleby said. "He's very athletic. I've been pleased with his preparation. I can't give you a negative."

Elarqam has not been seen since running on strongly to land the Tattersalls Stakes (G3) over seven furlongs at Newmarket last fall, but looked the part that day. The colt is by Frankel, a Two Thousand Guineas winner, and out of the 2004 UltimateBet.com One Thousand Guineas Stakes (G1) and Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Attraction, also trained by Elarqam's handler, Mark Johnston. He is looking for a first winner in the race since Mister Baileys in 1994.

"That is like a pedigree amongst pedigrees—they simply don't come better; I've never had a horse bred like this or that cost this sort of money (£2.48M/$3.36M)," Johnston said. "What a stallion he would be if he was to win something like the Guineas. I do keep stressing it's the first race of the season and, win or lose, there will be a lot more races to come for him, hopefully. But my instinct is that he's the perfect horse for the race. I worry about the lack of experience, that's all.  

"But he's really changed in attitude. Last year he was just so lazy and laid-back, and there were a number of horses that went better than him on the gallops. This year he's been able to play with them on the gallops, which is what you need for a Guineas winner." 

George Scott's James Garfield tries the mile distance for the first time, after a battling success in Al Basti Equiworld Supporting Greatwood Greenham Stakes (G3) over seven furlongs at Newbury. Last year's Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes (G2) winner gets the services of Frankie Dettori again. Expert Eye, a son of Acclamation, made a strong impression last season with a victory in the Qatar Vintage Stakes (G2) at Goodwood before closing the season with a last-place finish (lame after race) in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes (G1) at Newmarket.

Roaring Lion got within a neck of Saxon Warrior in the Racing Post Trophy but could finish only third behind Masar on return in the Craven. His trainer, John Gosden, has saddled nine previous British classic winners but has yet to chalk up a Two Thousand Guineas score.