2,000 Guineas card the centre of attraction on a Classic Saturday

Today may mark the start of the 2018-19 jumps season with racing from Uttoxeter and Hexham but the focus could not be more firmly on the Flat, with the Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket the main attraction in Europe.

To whet the appetite for the year's first Classic, James Thomas caught up with Mark Johnston, who not only trains leading contender Elarqam, but also handled the career of the Frankel colt's brilliant dam Attraction.

Martin Stevens also explains why homebred success for Godolphin in today's feature race or tomorrow's fillies' equivalent would mean so much to Sheikh Mohammed.

Elsewhere on Saturday, there is of course the Kentucky Derby, in which Aidan O'Brien will be hoping to strike a historic blow with Mendelssohn.

Racing

Wetherby (first race at 1.25)

Cork (1.30)

Goodwood (1.35)

Uttoxeter (1.40)

Newmarket (1.50)

Wexford (2.25)

Doncaster (5.15)

Hexham (5.35)

ANZ Bloodstock News

In today's issue: Steve Moran catches up with Godolphin Australia managing director Vin Cox, who reflects on a yearling sale series that saw the the operation shell out approximately A$6.5 million on 20 young horses.

First-season sires with runners

Bungle Inthejungle Mark’s Choice Doncaster 5:50
Burwaaz Lady Lavinia Doncaster 5:50
No Nay Never Cosmic Law Doncaster 5:50

Worldwide stakes races

3:41 MORPHETTVILLE
13cabs Queen Adelaide Stakes (Listed Race)

5:36 MORPHETTVILLE
UBET Euclase Stakes (Group 2)

6:09 GOLD COAST
Brandons Gold Coast Guineas (Group 3)

6:49 GOLD COAST
Attwood Marshall A.D. Hollindale Stakes (Group 2)

7:10 TOKYO
Metropolitan Stakes (Listed Race)

7:35 KYOTO
Kyoto Shimbun Hai (Grade 2)

11:40 TURFFONTEIN
SA Fillies Nursery (Grade 2)

2:00 TURFFONTEIN
SA Derby (Grade 1)

2:05 GOODWOOD
Matchbook VIP/British EBF Daisy Warwick Fillies' Stakes (Listed Race)

2:20 NEWMARKET
Longholes Palace House Stakes (Group 3)

2:35 TURFFONTEIN
Computaform Sprint (Grade 1)

2:55 NEWMARKET
Dunaden Jockey Club Stakes (Group 2)

3:35 NEWMARKET
Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1)

3:50 GOODWOOD
Matchbook Is Commission Free Conqueror Fillies' Stakes (Listed Race)

4:45 NEWMARKET
Havana Gold Newmarket Stakes (Listed Race)

6:13 CHURCHILL DOWNS
Humana Distaff Stakes (Grade 1)

6:55 CHURCHILL DOWNS
Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (Grade 2)

7:45 CHURCHILL DOWNS
Churchill Downs Stakes presented by twinspires.com (Grade 2)

8:37 CHURCHILL DOWNS
American Turf Stakes presented by Ram Trucks (Grade 2)

9:28 CHURCHILL DOWNS
Pat Day Mile Stakes presented by LG&E and KU (Grade 3)

10:25 CHURCHILL DOWNS
Old Forester Turf Classic Stakes (Grade 1)

10:48 BELMONT PARK
Fort Marcy Stakes (Grade 3)

11:50 CHURCHILL DOWNS
144th Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade 1)

View Saturday's racecards

What to read

"I wouldn't say that Elarqam has any similarities to the other pair that I trained - he's a lot better than them for a start!"

'Elarqam is the spitting image of Attraction'

What to watch

Final thought

William Haggas will send out the exciting Intello colt Restive Spirit in the 7f novice stakes for three-year-olds and older at Goodwood today (5.00).

Bred by Cheveley Park Stud, where Intello returned to stand this year, Restive Spirit is out of the Invincible Spirit mare Hooray, a Cheveley Park homebred who was successful in the Cheveley Park Stakes during her own racing career.

A 200,000gns Book 1 yearling, Restive Spirit will be ridden by Richard Kingscote and is a general 8-1 shot.