Cosmic Year May Sidestep the 2,000 Guineas

Around the same time as Sydney’s The Championships gets underway, racing in the United Kingdom begins its new season in earnest, and it doesn’t take too long before major Group 1 features loom. That includes the time-honoured 2,000 Guineas for 3YO colts – it's the first Classic of the season – which is scheduled to be run on 3 May at Newmarket. Earlier this week, one of the leading potential protagonists threw down the gauntlet. According to racingpost.com, Cosmic Year looked every inch a top-class colt on his return at Kempton, powering clear to land a 7-furlong novice by five lengths under Oisin Murphy (see below). The win, at the rather cramped odds of 2-9, extended his unbeaten record and sparked an immediate market reaction. Initially shortened to 7-1 joint-second favourite for the 2,000 Guineas, the Juddmonte-owned son of Kingman was soon clipped again to 6-1 outright second choice behind 11-2 favourite Twain for the May 3 Classic at Newmarket. Trainer Harry Charlton was understandably pleased. “It was as good as we could have hoped for. They went slow and he has such a good temperament to take it all in his stride.” But despite the performance, Charlton stressed nothing was set in stone. “We’ll have to speak to the Juddmonte team about plans as they have a lot of other horses, like Jonquil and Field Of Gold. There’s a few horses in the mix [for the 2,000 Guineas), so we’ll let the dust settle.” He also expressed caution about potential fast ground, which ruled out a possible Newbury appearance. “The weather will change at some point but if it stays dry through the month it feels like it could be a bit of a tough ask.” While Newmarket is clearly in the frame, the team is weighing alternatives. “The French and Irish Guineas are other options, as well as different routes into Royal Ascot, but we’ll see what the team want to do,” said Charlton. He underlined the broader significance of Cosmic Year’s presence in the stable: “It’s massively important to have these kind of horses in the yard and to be able to deliver for a proper operation like Juddmonte is essential." The race wasn't run on turf, and he may not have beaten much, but to the naked eye, Cosmic Year looks like a colt with undeniable talent.