Craven Stakes: Native Trail cut for 2000 Guineas after staying unbeaten with cosy Newmarket victory

Ante-post 2000 Guineas favourite Native Trail maintained his unbeaten record with a cosy victory in the bet365 Craven Stakes at Newmarket.

Winner of each of his four starts last term, culminating in Group One verdicts in the National Stakes and Dewhurst, Native Trail was crowned Europe's leading juvenile and was sent off the 1/4 favourite on his reappearance.

Partnered by William Buick, Native Trail was settled in fourth as Star Of India set the early pace and he still had more in front than behind him at the halfway mark.

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Buick eventually gave the signal inside the final two furlongs but the response was far from instant, with Native Trail taking a while to really hit top stride before eventually accelerating away upon meeting the rising ground.

Charlie Appleby's charge galloped on in fine style to come home well clear of 12/1 shot Claymore, with Betfair clipping him to 2/1 from 9/4 for the colts' Classic back at Newmarket on April 30.

Appleby said: "Watching the race I was happy throughout. Even when he came under the pump, although everyone in the stands was thinking he was under pressure, we know this horse.

"When he won the National Stakes, he was under the pump and then Will gave him a smack he picked up and he did in the Dewhurst as well - everyone thinks he's in trouble and then he hits the rising ground.

"What I love about this horse is he does it all the right way round. He's not one of those free travellers and you wonder what they're going to find - you know when this horse gets into a battle and hits that rising ground he's going to keep finding all the way to the line.

"I'm delighted we've got that run under our belt. I'm not saying there's loads of improvement there, but his racing brain has clicked in now and we look forward to the Guineas."

Appleby has a second Guineas contender Coroebus, who delighted in a racecourse gallop under Buick on the Rowley Mile on Wednesday morning.

The Godolphin handler expects both colts to line up in the Classic, with Buick maintaining his partnership with Native Trail while James Doyle takes the ride on Coroebus.

He said: "They're two different horses and I'd rather go into any gun fight with two guns. His Highness (Sheikh Mohammed) will be keen to run the two of them. He's very sporting, as we've seen for many, many years.

"We're just in a very fortunate position to have these horses. He'll be keen to run them and I'll be keen to run them as well, knowing that there'll both be there in two and a half weeks' time, hopefully in as good a condition as we can have them in.

"A couple of days ago I was sat with the jockeys and someone posed the question who would I encourage William to ride today and it would be Native Trail - there's no doubt about it.

"But I was very pleased with how Coroebus worked this morning and he's going to come forward again for that for sure.

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"It'll be a hard call, but William can't get off Native Trail. He has been tightened up as favourite for the Guineas, but I'm sure James is happy to jump on Coroebus.

"From the team's point of view and Godolphin's point of view, if they both turn up fit and well it's going to be an exciting race and we're very proud to be part of it."