The Classics 2024 - Guineas, Derby, Oaks, St Leger

“The thoroughbred exists because its selection has depended, not on experts, technicians or zoologists, but on a piece of wood: the winning post of the Epsom Derby.”  Frederico Tesio

Classics 2024 ante-post portfolio

Classics Bets 2024 

2,000 Guineas: 

1,000 Guineas: 

The Oaks: 

The Derby:  Arabian Crown 12-1 each-way

3rd May 2024

In what looks a fairly open year sixteen fillies will go to post for the 1,000 Guineas on Sunday with the runners for the second Classic of the season confirmed

2nd May 2024 

Eleven colts will go to post for the 2,000 Guineas on Saturday with the runners for the first Classic of the season confirmed. The runners and riders can be seen below. 

Alyanaabi Jim Crowley (8)
City Of Troy Ryan Moore (2)
Ghostwriter Richard Kingscote (3)
Haatem James Doyle (5)
Iberian Tom Marquand (11)
Inisherin Tom Eaves (7)
Night Raider Danny Tudhope (1)
Notable Speech William Buick (6)
Rosallion Sean Levey (4)
Task Force Rossa Ryan (9)
Ten Bob Tony Saffie Osborne (10)

1st May 2024: 

French raider Ramatuelle had her final major piece of work at Chantilly on Tuesday morning reportedly pleasing both her trainer and big-race rider Aurelien Lemaitr with trainer Christopher Head saying he cannot wait to saddle his first British Classic runner in Sunday's QIPCO 1,000 Guineas. The daughter of Justify will tackle a mile for the first time at Newmarket. She finished her two-year-old campaign being beaten a short neck to Vandeek in the 6f G.1 Prix Morny, and began her three-year-old campaign finishing second to the Godolphin owned Romantic Style, who is being aimed at the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches, when trying seven furlongs for the first time in the Prix Imprudence at the start of April.

29th April 2024:

The confirmations for the first Classic races of the Turf season are in with the 2,000 Guineas running Saturday and 1,000 Guineas Sunday: 

Qipco 2,000 Guineas confirmations 

Alyanaabi Owen Burrows
City Of Troy Aidan O'Brien​​
Diego Velazquez Aidan O'Brien
Ghostwriter Clive Cox​​
Haatem Richard Hannon
Henry Longfellow Aidan O'Brien
Iberian Charlie Hills
Inisherin Kevin Ryan
Night Raider Karl Burke
Notable Speech Charlie Appleby
River Tiber Aidan O'Brien
Rosallion Richard Hannon
Task Force Ralph Beckett
Ten Bob Tony Ed Walker

Qipco 1,000 Guineas confirmations 

Brilliant Aidan O'Brien
Cinderella's Dream Charlie Appleby
Content Aidan O'Brien
Dance Sequence Charlie Appleby
Darnation Karl Burke
Elmalka Roger Varian
Fallen Angel Karl Burke
Finsceal Luas Jim Bolger
Lunar Eclipse David Simcock
Porta Fortuna Donnacha O'Brien
Pretty Crystal Richard Fahey
Ramatuelle Christopher Head
Regal Jubilee John and Thady Gosden​​
Rolica Jane Chapple-Hyam
Sacred Angel Charlie Johnston
See The Fire Andrew Balding
Star Music Richard Hughes
Star Style Richard Hannon
Tamfana David Menuisier
Ylang Ylang Aidan O'Brien

26th April 2024: 

Before racing at Sandown Park today, and specifically the 1m2f Group Three bet365 Classic Trial, I have back Arabian Crown each-way for the Derby. My thinking is simple, he clearly has a chance on what he has achieved thus far and if he wins the trial, as I believe he will, 12's will be long gone. Trainer Charlie Appleby said this week “Arabian Crown has track experience at Sandown, which is always handy, and we were pleased with his recent racecourse gallop at Newmarket. It’s the same situation with a lot of early three-year-olds as we are trying to find out where the rest of the season lies. We will hopefully be a lot wiser afterwards as to whether he’s a Derby horse or not.” By Dubawi he is out of Dubai Rose who comes from a family that have produced a number of middle-distance winners and she herself has a number of winning offspring notably multiple middle-distance Group winner in France The Juliet Rose. He went well in a morning workout at Newmarket during the Craven meeting and all being well will book his place in the big race this afternoon.  

24th April 2024: 

Reportedly City Of Troy has continued to impress Aidan O'Brien and "hasn't put a foot wrong" according to the master of Ballydoyle in his preparation for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas. I know O’Brien is unlikely to put out a bad report but it must have others worried with the Guineas potentially the first leg of what might just turn into a Triple Crown bid for last season's champion European two-year-old. 

22nd April 2024: 

It is the first year for many that I have had not one ante-post punt on any of the Classics weeks if not months in advance. The reason is simple, I think it is a strange year. City Of Troy sits at the head of the market for the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby and is second favourite for the St Leger! It's wonderful to think we have have one of the all time greats potentially to look forward to in 2024 but it does make having a bet somewhat more complicated when you have a colt that appears, as it stands, to be head and shoulders above the rest. Ocean Of Dreams was on my mind as a potential big price each-way Derby bet but he came out at Leopardstwon in the 1m3f G.3 Ballysax Stakes in April, jumped the path 7f out, and returned lame! I can't be backing him at the moment. Godolphin owned Arabian Crown is due to run in the G.3 1m2f bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown so won't be at Newmarket after that whilst stablemate Ancient Wisdom may run but is surely more a Derby colt. That leaves the main hope for Moulton Paddocks Notable Speech who will arrive unbeaten in his three career starts so far, all this year, all on the Polytrack at Kempton. It would be a most unorthodox route to Guineas glory. Haatem won the 7f G.3 Craven Stakes and could run a race at a fair price, Hannon certainly likes the colt. Iberian is another at a larger price that could run a race, especially if it comes up fast on the day. The colt won the race Treasure Time, the horse I have a handful of shares in, made debut in at Newbury so I had a good look at him there and he looked a prospect. Following that he was second to Haatem in the 7f G.2 Vintage Stakes, winning the 7f G.2 Champagne Stakes and tiring out of contention in the G.1 7f Dewhurst Stakes won by City Of Troy on soft ground at the end of the season; clearly did not enjoy the going. 

As for the fillies the issue is the complete opposite in that it is, at the moment at least, a very competitive year and I for one could make a case for several fillies in the 1,000 Guineas; the injury to winter favourite Opera Singer muddying the waters further. We may see Opera Singer in the Irish 1,000 Guineas but she won't be at Newmarket. Fallen Angel currently heads the 1,000 Guineas market and goes straight to the race having had a racecourse gallop at the Craven meeting. Last seen winning the G.1 7f Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh in September she has an obvious chance and Karl Burke and the team are making all the right noises about her. I agree with Charlie Appleby that Dance Sequence finishing second in the 7f G.3 Nell Gwyn Stakes isn't perhaps such a bad thing; the 'trials' are there to be trials at the end of the day. She still looked green as grass in the finish but kept on and was only beaten a neck and you'd say she would have won if it was a mile. She will have learnt a bit again and it will have blown away the cobwebs, I wouldn't write her off yet. I noted Charlie Appleby saying on the Godolphin website "We are delighted with Dance Sequence. I said to William in the paddock, ‘don’t forget how raw she was last year when winning’. She has been handled very well through the winter and the most important day is in two and a half weeks’ time. Today was a stepping stone towards the Guineas and it happened exactly how we thought it might do. There was a bit of pace on and, when they started to quicken, those six and seven-furlong horses just caught her out. Once the penny dropped and she hit the rising ground, it looked as though she was going to do it, but then she had a look at the stands. It was all a bit raw, but importantly there is improvement there mentally as well as fitness-wise.” Ylang Ylang has always looked potentially more an Oaks filly to me and signed-off her two-year-old campaign winning the G.1 bet365 Fillies' Mile at HQ, over the Guineas track and trip, in October. If it was soft going for the first weekend of May, and it could be the spring we are having, she would have to be on any shortlist. See The Fire is one of my Dirty Dozen for the year and Andrew Balding is aiming her at the 1,000 Guineas early in the campaign. Having won on debut she was Second in the G.2 mile Betfred May Hill Stakes at Doncaster before finishing third in the G.1 bet365 Fillies' Mile being the far more experience Ylang Ylang hanging left towards the end and losing out late on. I wouldn't be surprised if she stays a little further as the season progresses but with a winter on her back she may be able to reverse the form with Ylang Ylang at this trip. I noted Balding saying in the stable magazine "She has wintered very well at Littleton Stud, is back in work at Kingsclere and full of beans in her morning exercise. She is likely to head straight to the 1,000 Guineas without a prep race as she handled the challenges of the Rowley Mile when third in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile on her latest start..........she will have entries in all the top fillies’ races to keep her options open. She is a hugely exciting horse to have in the yard." 

It's 8's the field for the Oaks with double figure odds available about everything barring Ylang Ylang.