Godolphin’s COROEBUS (5-1) prevailed from his better-fancied stable companion Native Trail (5-4 Favourite) in the first Classic of the season, the QIPCO 2000 Guineas (1m) at Newmarket on April 30 while CACHET, at 16 to 1, won the 1000 Guineas on May 1 for the beginner-friendly racing syndicate Highclere Thoroughbred Racing (https://www.highclereracing.co.uk/).

Cachet led throughout to win the Group One QIPCO 1000 Guineas, handing jockey James Doyle a second Classic success in 24 hours following the victory of Coroebus in the 2000 Guineas. The 34-year-old Doyle becomes the first jockey to win both Guineas in the same year since Ryan Moore in 2015.

The victory of Cachet handed a first Classic success to her 30-year-old trainer George Boughey. Boughey, who is based just a stone’s throw from the Rowley Mile at Saffron House Stables on Newmarket’s Hamilton Road, only began training in 2019 having previously worked as an assistant to Hugo Palmer. In 2012, he saddled his first Classic runner, Mystery Angel, who was runner-up in the Cazoo Oaks.

For owners Highclere Thoroughbred Racing, this was a first British Classic although its colours were carried to victory in the 2000 Irish Oaks by Petrushka. Cachet becomes the second syndicate-owned winner of a British Classic, following Motivator’s success for the Royal Ascot Racing Club in the 2005 Derby.

Cachet prepared for today by winning the Group Three Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn Stakes on 12th April and becomes the first filly to win both contests since Speciosa in 2006.

A daughter of Aclaim, Cachet was never headed in today’s contest and held on to win by a neck from the fast-finishing Prosperous Voyage (33-1) with Tuesday a further length and three-quarters back in third.

George Boughey told ITV Racing: “It’s a very special day – there are a lot of people to thank for getting here but most notably the filly. She’s been a superstar since she walked into the yard and it was always going to be the question of that long final furlong but she got a peach of a ride from James.

“I was always confident (she’d get a mile) – she’s by Aclaim and she’s a superstar. I’m delighted.”

Boughey went on to say: “She’s obviously a very good filly and she’s stepped forward from the Nell Gwyn, I think people thought that she was razor fit but I was sure she was a bit short of work.

“It was a long final furlong! She got a peach of a ride from James and she just eyes up every blade of grass on the Rowley Mile, she loves it. She was straight into the dip and gone and they were closing late but there were some very good fillies in behind her – Ralph Beckett’s filly (Prosperous Voyage) stood out to me in the yard out the back and she’s obviously a very good filly as well – but I’m delighted to have held on and it’s a dream come true really.

“I absolutely didn’t think I’d be here so soon, we had four horses two years ago and the highest rated was 62 so to have a filly like her and several others is amazing and to do it for Highclere is amazing. They’ve got a bunch of horses with me now, they’ve got six horses with me and it’s just massive to pay them back so it’s a huge day and very special.”

 

 

 

COROEBUS’ 2000 Guineas win was a fourth Classic winner for trainer Charlie Appleby following his triumphs in the Derby (2018 Masar, 2021 Adayar) and St Leger (2021 Hurricane Lane) and a first for jockey James Doyle. Doyle had come close to QIPCO 2000 Guineas success in the past, finishing runner-up aboard both Kingman (2014) and Barney Roy (2017).

Coroebus is a third 2000 Guineas winner for his sire Dubawi following Makfi (2010) and Night Of Thunder (2014).

Travelling supremely well throughout Coroebus hit the front entering the final furlong and went on to win by three-quarters of a length from Native Trail, partnered by William Buick, with Irish raider Luxembourg another length and a half back in third.

Winning trainer Charlie Appleby told ITV Racing: “I’m delighted for the whole team but also he’s a home-bred. He’s a Dubawi – I’m not saying we’re spoilt but I’d like to think I know the Dubawis by now. We’ve had enough of them through our hands and he’s shown us all the right signs.

“That was always going to be a hard call for William (Buick) to get off Native Trail to get on him. But I’m also delighted for James (Doyle) – he’s an integral part of the team and for him to have his first English Classic winner is fantastic and for us to provide it, it’s even more special.

“I don’t think William will have any excuses. He’s just been beaten by the better horse. I could see James was travelling for fun and that’s what this horse does – they can’t go quick enough for him. He’s a seven furlong horse who could potentially get a bit further than a mile in time, I think, but I’m just delighted for the whole team.

“You can’t take anything away from Native Trail. He’s gone down, as always, on his sword but one horse had been there and done it and one had the scope to potentially go there and do it.

“I think we’ll potentially try to keep them apart to be brutally honest. It would be a shame for them to keep butting heads with one another and on the evidence of what we’ve seen today they are the best two three year old colts around to date and after nice healthy discussions over the next few weeks we can probably say one will go to Ireland and one we can keep our powder dry and go straight to the St James’s Palace.”

Appleby went on to say subsequently: “Obviously it is a relief. I was third with Pinatubo, second with Master Of The Seas, so we had been getting closer and hopefully our time was going to come.

“With both of those horses, every target we have set for them they have met. Native Trail came up here and won the Craven and we galloped Coroebus that morning.

“William said ‘Charlie, if you didn’t have Native Trail I couldn’t be more excited about riding Coroebus’. He said what a second horse to have.

“It is a nice discussion to have with the team but I would let this horse go straight to the St James’s Palace Stakes and let Native Trail go back to the Curragh where we have seen him be impressive before and take him over to the Irish 2000 Guineas.

“I see the pair sticking to the mile at the moment.”

Winning jockey James Doyle was close to tears as he told ITV Racing: “I’m super proud of Charlie (Appleby). For once I have to say I’m actually emotional to ride a big winner today. This race has always been something that’s always annoyed me, looking at replays over and over again of Kingman’s Guineas, Barney Roy’s Guineas, and then it goes so simple the way it has today.

“Full credit to Charlie. He’s an incredible man and an incredible man to work for. It’s honestly a privilege to work for him and to ride a 2000 Guineas winner. It’s a privilege to be a part of what’s happening at the minute, it really is.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: 2000 Guineas, Charlie Appleby, Coroebus, Godolphin, Newmarket,

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