'There's a bigger picture beyond the Guineas' - Clive Cox predicting big things from unbeaten Ghostwriter

City Of Troy won't be the only horse in the Qipco 2,000 Guineas field next Saturday looking to tee up a Classic double, with a bullish Clive Cox revealing his faith that there is a "bigger picture" for Ghostwriter beyond Newmarket, including the Derby.

Cox was speaking to the Racing Post for a major interview in Sunday's newspaper in which he discusses his confidence that the unbeaten colt could be the horse to fill one of the few holes left on his CV.

The Lambourn trainer recalled the win at Ascot last season, the second in a three-race campaign, that confirmed to him that he was dealing with a special horse, saying: "It was sunny and there was the shadow in front of the stands, and as he went clear inside the final furlong, he pricked his ears, skipped the shadow and kept going. Horses shouldn't be able to do that – it was pure class that enabled him to get away with it.

"It reminded me of a morning when [his dual Group 1-winning two-year-old] Reckless Abandon was working on the grass in the early part of the season, with John Reid on board, and he started broncing halfway through a gallop, full of play. You think that shouldn't happen, but it was a sign of his pure ability that he was able to do it, so it was surprising in a good way. We all had a good laugh about it when John came back in, but it was a joyous thing to watch because you knew it was out of the ordinary, a little clue as to how good they might be."

Ghostwriter: a best-priced 20-1 shot for the 2,000 Guineas behind 4-6 favourite City Of TroyCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Ghostwriter followed up in the Royal Lodge and is now a best-priced 20-1 shot for the first colts' Classic behind 4-6 favourite City Of Troy, but very much underrated at those odds according to his trainer.

"He's worked hard and his work's been good," said Cox. "We didn't run him in a trial because we felt he already had the Newmarket t-shirt, so we gave him a racecourse gallop at Kempton and it all went well.

"He's well balanced, extremely professional, very straightforward, and he's out of a Champs Elysees mare, which gives him the possibility of staying beyond the Guineas trip. He wouldn't be dropping back in distance from a mile, but how much further he can get is going to be interesting. The fact that he's got a bit of class makes it very exciting, and yes, he's got a Derby entry.

"We're going into the Guineas with a lot of hope, and we'll have him razor-sharp, but there's a bigger picture beyond that and so much potential there."

Read more from Clive Cox in Peter Thomas's exclusive interview, available in Sunday's newspaper or online for Members' Club Ultimate subscribers from 6pm on Saturday. Click here to sign up.

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