Pace options give Ballydoyle whip hand in Guineas assault

It isn’t quite a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, but the Qipco 2,000 Guineas leaves connections of Churchill in something of a quandary. Which of his three principal rivals poses the greatest threat on Saturday?

The question will be exercising minds at Ballydoyle as the red-hot favourite returns to the fray. Will they settle on Eminent, who needs a strongly run mile to be seen at his best? Or will it be Al Wukair or Barney Roy, both of whom have unleashed striking acceleration over seven furlongs and would have most to gain from a sedate early gallop.

It is an important call, since the outcome of their ruminations is likely to govern the way the race unfolds. Ballydoyle has the pace base covered, with Churchill joined by three stablemates in a maximum field of 12.