It is now just under two months until the first Classic of the 2021 Flat season takes place – the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, staged on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket on Saturday 1st May.

There are 72 entries for the mile contest, which will be run for the 213th time this year and forms part of the QIPCO British Champions Series.

Master of Ballydoyle Aidan O’Brien has saddled a record 10 QIPCO 2000 Guineas winners and accounts for 12 entries this year, headed by St Mark's Basilica, winner of the Group One Darley Dewhurst Stakes on the Rowley Mile in 2020 and Battleground, impressive when taking the Group Two Vintage Stakes before finishing second in the Grade One Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Trainers Joseph O’Brien, Andrew Balding and Richard Hannon gave updates on their contenders as the entries were revealed today. Joseph O’Brien - Thunder Moon Won first two starts, including Group One Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, before finishing third when 11-4 favourite for the Darley Dewhurst Stakes “Thunder Moon has wintered well and we are pleased with where we are.

There is plenty of water still to go under the bridge yet but it is exciting to have a live contender for the 2000 Guineas.

We were very pleased with the run in the Dewhurst considering the ground on the day.

He was posted on a tougher part of the track as there was bias towards the stands rails but we were pleased with him.

He is obviously a pretty quick horse on what he has done so far but he shapes as though a mile will be within compass so I don’t see the trip being a problem.

I do feel that he will be better on quicker ground as well. It is nice to have had a run at the track previously and that experience there won’t do him no harm.

We have the option of running him beforehand but we will decide nearer the time and see how the horse is before making that decision.”

Andrew Balding - Youth Spirit

Successful in a seven-furlong maiden on the July Course, he subsequently came home third to Battleground in the Vintage Stakes “He had a setback after the Vintage at Goodwood that is why we didn’t see him for the rest of the year. We are just about to increase the speed of his work. He would be a possibility for the 2000 Guineas.”

Richard Hannon – Chindit

Won first three starts, culminating in Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster before finishing down the field in Darley Dewhurst Stakes He said: “I’m very pleased with him and he has done very well. He did just a bit more than a canter a few days ago, him Fancy Man and Etonian all worked and it was a lovely start. Regarding his Newmarket run, the times say that the ground was heavy and it looked it. Chindit will go wherever there is decent ground. If it turns up at Newbury that is where he will go first (Greenham). He had done all his winning on flat tracks at Doncaster and Ascot before Newmarket and I’m not sure he loved the track. He has always been a neat horse with a good action. He is a good horse with a lot of speed. I think he would get the mile in a Guineas and would be suited by that trip as he is a very straightforward, simple horse.”

QIPCO 2000 GUINEAS (Group 1) 01/05/21

A Case of You (IRE) 3 9 0 Gary Devlin Adrian McGuinness

Admiral Nelson (GB) 3 9 0 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien

Akmaam (FR) 3 9 0 Mr Hamdan Al Maktoum Brian Meehan

Albadri (IRE) 3 9 0 Alsharq racing Jane Chapple-Hyam

Albasheer (IRE) 3 9 0 Mr Hamdan Al Maktoum Owen Burrows

Ataser (GB) 3 9 0 Guaymas T. J. Kent

Baradar (IRE) 3 9 0 Amo Racing Limited Roger Varian

Battleground (USA) 3 9 0 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien

Belloccio (FR) 3 9 0 All for One Racing David Menuisier

Cadillac (IRE) 3 9 0 Alpha Racing 2020 Mrs J. Harrington

Chez Pierre (FR) 3 9 0 Mr R. Jackson Francis-Henri Graffard

Chindit (IRE) 3 9 0 Mr Michael Pescod Richard Hannon

Devilwala (IRE) 3 9 0 Amo Racing Limited & Arjun Waney Ralph Beckett

Duke of Mantua (IRE) 3 9 0 Mrs John Magnier,Mr M.Tabor & Mr D.Smith Aidan O'Brien

El Drama (IRE) 3 9 0 Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum Roger Varian

Encounter Order (IRE) 3 9 0 Mr Abdulla Al Mansoori Ismail Mohammed

Etonian (IRE) 3 9 0 Mrs J. Wood Richard Hannon

Existent (GB) 3 9 0 Cheveley Park Stud John Gosden

Fancy Man (IRE) 3 9 0 Mr Michael Pescod Richard Hannon

Fundamental (GB) 3 9 0 Cheveley Park Stud John Gosden

Guru (GB) 3 9 0 Lady Bamford John Gosden

High Definition (IRE) 3 9 0 D Smith/Mrs.J Magnier/M Tabor/Westerberg Aidan O'Brien

Highland Avenue (IRE) 3 9 0 Godolphin Charlie Appleby

Hms Seahorse (IRE) 3 9 0 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien

Ilza'eem (FR) 3 9 0 KHK Racing Ltd & Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa Simon & Ed Crisford

Insomnia (GB) 3 9 0 REBEL RACING PREMIER III Richard Spencer

Isle of Sark (USA) 3 9 0 Teme Valley Joseph Patrick O'Brien

Jadoomi (FR) 3 9 0 Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum Simon & Ed Crisford

King Vega (GB) 3 9 0 Apollo Racing & DTA Racing Andrew Balding

King Zain (IRE) 3 9 0 Mr Jaber Abdullah Mark Johnston

Laneqash (GB) 3 9 0 Mr Hamdan Al Maktoum Roger Varian

Latest Generation (GB) 3 9 0 Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum Simon & Ed Crisford

Legion of Honour (GB) 3 9 0 Teme Valley 2 Roger Varian

Lucky Vega (IRE) 3 9 0 Zhang Yuesheng Mrs J. Harrington

Mac Swiney (IRE) 3 9 0 Mrs J. S. Bolger J. S. Bolger

Master of The Seas (IRE) 3 9 0 Godolphin Charlie Appleby

Megallan (GB) 3 9 0 Mr A. E. Oppenheimer John Gosden

Mehmento (IRE) 3 9 0 Hambleton Racing XLVI & Partner Archie Watson

Merchants Quay (FR) 3 9 0 Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Aidan O'Brien

Method (IRE) 3 9 0 Manton Park Racing Martyn Meade

Military Style (USA) 3 9 0 Mrs John Magnier,Mr M.Tabor & Mr D.Smith Aidan O'Brien

Mithras (GB) 3 9 0 Haras de Saint Pair John Gosden

Mujbar (GB) 3 9 0 Mr Hamdan Al Maktoum Charles Hills

Mystery Smiles (IRE) 3 9 0 King Power Racing Co Ltd Andrew Balding

Nando Parrado (GB) 3 9 0 Mrs Marie McCartan Clive Cox

Naval Crown (GB) 3 9 0 Godolphin Charlie Appleby

Noble Dynasty (GB) 3 9 0 Godolphin Charlie Appleby

One Ruler (IRE) 3 9 0 Godolphin Charlie Appleby

Parchemin (IRE) 3 9 0 Godolphin S.N.C. A. Fabre

Percy's Lad (GB) 3 9 0 JD Partnership Eve Johnson Houghton

Poetic Flare (IRE) 3 9 0 Mrs J. S. Bolger J. S. Bolger

Prince Lancelot (GB) 3 9 0 A. Gilibert Fabrice Chappet

Rhythm Master (IRE) 3 9 0 John and Jess Dance Richard Fahey

Rifleman (IRE) 3 9 0 Mrs J Magnier, Mr M Tabor & Mr D Smith John Gosden

Rogue Force (IRE) 3 9 0 The Rogues Gallery Tom Clover

Roman Empire (IRE) 3 9 0 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien

Royal Air Force (IRE) 3 9 0 Mr Edward J. Ware Simon & Ed Crisford

Royal Champion (IRE) 3 9 0 Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum Roger Varian

Royal Scimitar (IRE) 3 9 0 AlMohamediya Racing Clive Cox

Sandhurst (IRE) 3 9 0 Mrs John Magnier,Mr M.Tabor & Mr D.Smith Aidan O'Brien

Sayf Al Dawla (GB) 3 9 0 Ms Sally Elizabeth Wall Peter Chapple-Hyam

Secret Protector (USA) 3 9 0 Godolphin Charlie Appleby

Snapraeterea (IRE) 3 9 0 J.P. Farrell Joseph Patrick O'Brien

State of Rest (IRE) 3 9 0 Teme Valley Joseph Patrick O'Brien

St Mark's Basilica (FR) 3 9 0 Mr D. Smith, Mrs J. Magnier, Mr M. Tabor Aidan O'Brien

The Attorney (IRE) 3 9 0 Mr Ziad A. Galadari Charles Hills

The Rosstafarian (IRE) 3 9 0 Middleham Park Racing LXXXVII Hugo Palmer

Thunder Moon (IRE) 3 9 0 Mrs C. C. Regalado-Gonzalez Joseph Patrick O'Brien

Van Gogh (USA) 3 9 0 M Tabor/D Smith/Mrs Magnier/Mrs Nagle Aidan O'Brien

Wembley (IRE) 3 9 0 Mr M. Tabor, D. Smith & Mrs John Magnier Aidan O'Brien

Xaario (FR) 3 9 0 Mr Abdullah Almaddah David Menuisier

Youth Spirit (IRE) 3 9 0 Ahmad Al Shaikh Andrew Balding

About Newmarket Racecourses

Newmarket’s two magical racecourses, the Rowley Mile and the July Course, together form the greatest venue in the East of England, hosting exhilarating world class Flat racing, pulsating music nights, great value family days, award-winning restaurants and exceptional conferences.

About The Jockey Club

One of the largest sports businesses operating in the UK today (2019 turnover: £216.5 million), The Jockey Club is at the heart of so many aspects of Britain’s second-biggest spectator sport. We run 15 of the UK’s leading racecourses – large and local, where we’re charged with looking after some of the nation’s biggest events, including the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree, The Festival presented by Magners at Cheltenham, The Derby Festival at Epsom Downs and the QIPCO Guineas Festival in Newmarket. We welcome thousands of racehorses a year to our training centres in Newmarket, Lambourn and Epsom. We run The National Stud in Newmarket and our charity, Racing Welfare, makes help available to all of racing’s people. We are governed by Royal Charter to act for the long-term benefit of British Racing and our Patron is Her Majesty The Queen. For more information please visit www.thejockeyclub.co.uk.

About QIPCO British Champions Series

QIPCO British Champions Series showcases 35 of the UK’s finest Flat races, including three of the world’s top 10. The Series features at all of the UK’s most iconic Flat festivals, from the Derby and St Leger, to Glorious Goodwood and Royal Ascot, presenting unparalleled, quality racing across 10 of the country’s finest racecourses. The Series exhibits world-class sporting action across five different categories – Sprint, Mile, Middle Distance, Long Distance and Fillies & Mares. Five top-class races mark the climax of the Series on the Ultimate Raceday, QIPCO British Champions Day at Ascot on Saturday 16th October, where the world’s best compete at the nation’s richest raceday. Put simply, QIPCO British Champions Series shines the spotlight on the best horses, the best jockeys and the best racecourses, so that millions worldwide can follow the finest Flat racing. For more info on QIPCO British Champions Series and Day visit britishchampionsseries.com