Auguste Rodin is too short and Little Big Bear won't stay - so keep these two underestimated colts onside in 2,000 Guineas

In some quarters the 2,000 Guineas is considered the final remaining juvenile race of the previous season and the quandary facing punters is separating the rapid improvers from those who have peaked and determining who holds sway. That is because the best long-term prospect in the field is not always the horse who storms to Classic glory.

The colours of two titans of the turf in Australia and Kingman were lowered by Night Of Thunder in 2014, while time proved that Ribchester (2016), Roaring Lion (2018), Kinross (2020) and most recently Luxembourg (2022) were the best of their generation in their respective runnings.

The similarities between Luxembourg and this season’s favourite Auguste Rodin, who is priced up on reputation rather than substance on the early shows, are easy to detect. Both are bred for middle distances and landed the Futurity Trophy on testing ground at Doncaster to round off top-class juvenile campaigns. It is a well-trodden path for Aidan O’Brien’s 2,000 Guineas hopes, with Camelot (2011-12), Saxon Warrior (2017-18) and Magna Grecia (2018-19) achieving that notable cross-season double.