2,000 Guineas: Coroebus beats Native Trail to win Newmarket Classic

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, James Doyle riding Coroebus wins the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket

Coroebus beat stablemate and favourite Native Trail to win the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Trainer Charlie Appleby earned his first 2,000 Guineas win, in the first Classic of the flat racing season.

Previously unbeaten colt Native Trail, ridden by William Buick, was left with too much to do in the closing stages, as James Doyle held on to the lead, to win by three-quarters of a length.

Luxembourg, trained by Aidan O'Brien, came third.

"It's great for James, who is an integral part of the team and for him to have his first English Classic winner is fantastic. For us to be able to provide it is even more special," Appleby told ITV Racing.

"I don't think William will have any excuses - he was potentially beaten by a better horse. I could see James was travelling for fun and that's what this horse does - they can't go quick enough for him."

The stablemates are unlikely to race again for a while.

"I think we'll potentially try to keep them apart, to be brutally honest - it would be a shame for them to keep butting heads," Appleby continued.

"On the evidence of what we've seen today they are the two best three-year-old colts around. After healthy discussions we might say one could go to Ireland (for the Irish Guineas) and the other one could go straight to the St James's Palace (at Royal Ascot)."