Formidable duo Gustav Klimt and Saxon Warrior head potent O'Brien challenge

3.35 Newmarket
Qipco 2000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1) | 1m | 3yo colts & fillies | ITV

Should Gustav Klimt, favourite for Saturday’s Qipco 2,000 Guineas, become Aidan O’Brien’s ninth winner of the Newmarket Classic his achievement will have been different to any of Ballydoyle’s previous victors.

That's because all of O’Brien’s eight winners – the first was King Of Kings 20 years ago – went to Newmarket without a prep run.

Gustav Klimt does not, having won the 2,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown on his reappearance last month.

Should the son of Galileo provide Seamie Heffernan with a second British Classic win, he will be only the second of O’Brien’s winners of the 2,000 Guineas to succeed at his first attempt at Group 1 level, a feat achieved by Footstepsinthesand in 2005.

This is also Gustav Klimt's first try at a mile. O’Brien, who will be at Churchill Downs for Mendelssohn’s bid for Kentucky Derby glory, said: “Gustav Klimt had a hold up after winning the Superlative Stakes last summer. We were planning to run him in the Dewhurst but we backed off him and decided to keep him for this year.

Watch: Gustav Klimt overcomes trouble to win the Superlative Stakes in classy style

“We ran him in the Leopardstown Guineas Trial as he had been off the track for so long, and although the testing ground was against him he won nicely.

"Ryan [Moore] was very happy with him. Everything has gone fine since and he seems in very good form.”

Saxon Warrior: has transformed during the winter, according to trainer Aidan O'BrienCredit: Patrick McCann

Saxon Warrior, who was three from three last season, has had the more traditional Ballydoyle preparation. The Racing Post Trophy winner, a son of Deep Impact, is the mount of the trainer's 19-year-old son Donnacha, who is seeking a first Classic win.

O’Brien said: “Saxon Warrior has developed into a massive colt and is just ready to start his campaign. We’re happy with him. He should stay further than a mile but we’re hoping for a good run.”

Watch: Saxon Warrior battles bravely to land record-breaking Racing Post Trophy for Aidan O'Brien

Completing O’Brien’s team is Murillo, last year’s Coventry Stakes and Railway Stakes third, who raced exclusively over sprint distances last year.

O’Brien said of Wayne Lordan’s mount: “Murillo is a fast colt and is in good form. We’ll see how he fares over the trip before deciding on future plans.”

Gustav Klimt
Pros Well-regarded by the race’s most successful trainer. Has the potential to improve considerably on what he has achieved so far
Cons Facing biggest test in first attempt at Group 1 level and looks a skinny enough price based on what he has achieved so far

Saxon Warrior
Pros Unbeaten last season and already a Group 1 winner
Cons Question over whether a mile – over which he did all his racing last year – will prove optimum trip, and likely to improve considerably from this first run of the season

Godolphin craving for Craven winner to hit heights

Masar bids to become the first winner of the Craven Stakes to follow up in the first Classic of the year since Haafhd in 2004, and he heads the home defence after a spectacular nine-length win in his course-and-distance rehearsal last month.

The pillar-to-post victory was a first Craven win for owners Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick.

Not many runners in that trial had race fitness on their side. In Masar’s case it was a heavy defeat on the sand at Meydan, but the son of New Approach put the match practice to good use anyway, seeing off White Mocha and Royal Lodge winner Roaring Lion, who reopposes here.

Although he will not have such a fitness advantage this time around, Appleby has been happy with his charge since the Craven.

He seeks his first win in a British Classic, while the Godolphin silks were last carried to success in the 2,000 Guineas by Dawn Approach five years ago.

Appleby said: “It was hard not to be impressed with his win in the Craven. We went into that race with a fit horse, with the run under our belt out in Dubai, but you couldn’t have been more pleased with the way he quickened away in the final furlong.

"Once he hit the rising ground he put a lot of distance between himself and the rest of the field.

Masar cantered to victory in the Craven Stakes over the Guineas course and distanceCredit: Edward Whitaker

“He's definitely come forward mentally and in terms of maturity since then, and he has the course experience now."

Drawn against the stands’ rail in 14, Masar may well bowl along again.

Watch: Masar streaks away to win the Craven Stakes in emphatic fashion

The trainer added: "He made all last time but ideally we would like to take a lead. He’s a very versatile horse – he can make the running but has also been dropped in behind horses.".

However the race pans out Appleby has high expectations, adding: “Based on what we saw in the Craven we must go into the race hoping he is a serious contender. It’s an exciting weekend for the team and we hope Masar has a decent chance.”

ProsMay have to dictate again from stall 14 and a kick from the cutaway rail could leave his rivals getting in each others’ way running down into the Dip
ConsQuestion whether the Craven was his Guineas as he was head and shoulders above anything else in the paddock, and others may have caught up fitness-wise

Expert team eye reversal in form

Sir Michael Stoute seeks a sixth 2,000 Guineas triumph, but his first since 2001, with the Khalid Abdullah-owned Expert Eye, who is bidding to emulate Night Of Thunder, who sprang a 40-1 surprise on the Rowley Mile in 2014.

He was runner-up to Kingman in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury before going on to reverse the form, something Expert Eye must do with his Berkshire conqueror James Garfield.

The Greenham has not been a great source of 2,000 Guineas winners since Frankel in 2011, but there are reasons to think Expert Eye could be in the the shake-up if he settles early – something that has not been the case in his last two starts.

Last July, both on the course and at home, the son of Acclamation looked set to sweep all before him with some spectacular displays, culminating in his scintillating victory in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

After that, things did not go as well. His headstrong tendencies first showed themselves before his final juvenile outing in the Dewhurst Stakes in October, when he was fractious in the stalls and raced too freely before finishing last behind US Navy Flag.

This year, Stoute has put a lot of effort into getting Expert Eye to settle, and also curing his stalls aversion, and even took him for a spin at Chelmsford before his outing in the Greenham.

Expert Eye was keen at Newbury but still had enough in the tank to come through late to snatch second, and he pleased in his final breeze under Ted Durcan on Thursday morning.

Andrea Atzeni, who rode Expert Eye twice last year, is back on board and is seeking a first 2,000 Guineas success.

Expert Eye: needs to rediscover the form he showed when running away with the Vintage Stakes last yearCredit: Mark Cranham

Stoute said: "Expert Eye ran a decent trial at Newbury when he was still a bit keen, but we've been happy with his prep at home since then. The 2,000 Guineas will tell us whether he's a miler or not."

Pros Couldn't be in better hands and a return to his Goodwood form of last year would put him bang in the shake-up. Drawn next to a possible pacemaker in Cardsharp, which may help him settle
Cons Suspicion he could be more of a seven-furlong horse and better suited by races like the Jersey Stakes

Elarqam exciting connections

He may be untested above Group 3 level, but connections are fully entitled to be excited about the unbeaten Elarqam.

It was hard not to be deeply impressed with the manner in which he accounted for Tip Two Win – who reopposes – in Newmarket’s Tattersalls Stakes last winter, and he looks just the type to make up into an even better three-year-old.

Charlie Johnston, son and assistant to Elarqam’s trainer Mark Johnston, said: “We’re all very excited to go there with a leading chance. He's showing all the right signs that he has improved over the winter.

“The suspicion is that he may improve when he goes even further, but this is the right starting point.

“He's unbeaten and has so much potential – we just don’t know how high he can go.”

Elarqam’s sire Frankel won the 2,000 Guineas in 2011 and his dam Attraction was saddled by Johnston to win the 1,000 Guineas in 2004. Rider Jim Crowley seeks his first British Classic success on Hamdan Al Maktoum's colt.

Elarqam: is bred for greatness, but needs to step up on his first start in Group 1 companyCredit: Edward Whitaker

Stablemate Cardsharp, the mount of James Doyle, brings an entirely different profile into the Classic, having raced ten times as a juvenile.

His four wins included the Group 2 July Stakes, and Johnston has high hopes he can finish in the first half dozen.

“He enjoyed a great two-year-old campaign and you can put a line through his comeback run in France,” he said.

“Cardsharp hated the heavy ground that day. We were keen to get him spot-on for the Guineas, and hopefully he'll leave that form a long way behind. I’m hopeful he can finish in the first six.”

Elarqam
Pros So much untapped potential and possesses the scope to develop into a top-class three-year-old
Cons Yet to prove himself outside of Group 3 company

Read exclusive previews from 6pm tonight on racingpost.com