A marvellous horse, trainer and jockey make this a 2,000 Guineas to remember

As we stood around the pre-parade ring, minds and bodies filled with anticipation, there was more than a suspicion this could be a vintage running of the Qipco 2,000 Guineas. Vintage is what it turned out to be – and in so many ways.

Even as the Palace House Stakes field began to load, at least 100 people were already studying some of the colts who had been bred, raised and trained for a mission that suddenly loomed large. In no time at all, the numbers around the ring had soared to 250, more than you might get for some quiet midweek meetings. If you were one of those 250 and have not yet heard, Khaadem won the sprint.

The Ballydoyle pair of Luxembourg and Point Lonsdale were among the early arrivals. Their Jim Bolger-trained compatriot Boundless Ocean was accompanied by a groom who spotted a racegoer he knew on the other side of the white plastic.