The Lowdown: QIPCO 2,000 Guineas

Six homebreds take on five sales graduates for the opening Classic of the British season. The spotlight will very much rest on odds-on favourite City Of Troy, who is one of five Classic runners for his Triple Crown-winning sire Justify in Newmarket and Kentucky in the space of three days.

Shamardal, his sons Lope De Vega and Blue Point, and grandson Phoenix Of Spain are each represented by a runner, as is Dubawi and his two sons Night Of Thunder and Too Darn Hot. For the complete field, please click here.

ALYANAABI (Ire) 

Too Darn Hot (GB) – Alyamaama (Kitten's Joy)

Pedigree/form notes: The Shadwell homebred is the first British Classic runner for his young sire and is out of a half-sister to the 2009 1,000 Guineas and Coronation S. winner Ghanaaati (Giant's Causeway). His Listed-winning granddam Sarayir (Mr. Prospector) is a half-sister to the brilliant Nashwan (Blushing Groom {Fr}), whose four Group 1 wins at three included the 2,000 Guineas, as well as Nayef (Gulch) and Unfuwain (Northern Dancer). Winner of the G3 Somerville Tattersall S., Alyanaabi was runner-up in the Dewhurst to City Of Troy.

CITY OF TROY

Justify – Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})

Pedigree/form notes: Unbeaten in three starts, including the G1 Dewhurst S. and G2 Superlative S., the Coolmore representative handled the undulations of the Rowley Mile with apparent ease last October. His dam won the G1 Fillies' Mile and is a sister to an Oaks winner, and she has produced three other black-type performers, though none in this colt's league. The European champion two-year-old and a potential superstar.

GHOSTWRITER (Ire) 

Invincible Spirit (Ire) – Moorside (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB})

Sales info: Offered by his breeders Norelands Stud and the Irish National Stud as a foal at Tattersalls, he was bought by David Bowe on behalf of Jeff Smith's Littleton Stud for 100,000gns.

Pedigree/form notes: From a family with form in this particular Classic, his Juddmonte-bred granddam Marching West (Gone West) is a sister to the 1993 winner Zafonic and also to Zamindar, who ran fifth to Entrepreneur four years later. Moorside, who was second in the Cheshire Oaks, was her sole black-type performer.

Ghostwriter won all three starts last year, including over course and distance in the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge, and deserves plenty of respect.

HAATEM (Ire)

Phoenix Of Spain (Ire) – Hard Walnut (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire})

Sales info: Sold at Tattersalls October Book 2 for 27,000gns to Peter and Ross Doyle.

Pedigree/form notes: The impressive winner of the G3 Craven S. after beating Iberian in last season's G2 Vintage S., he is the most seasoned of the field with 10 starts under his belt. Victory here would pull off a remarkable Classic double for his breeder John Bourke, who also bred the 2022 1,000 Guineas winner Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}). His dam won twice over six furlongs and is a descendant of Lady O'Reilly's G1 Phoenix S runner-up Yara (Ire) (Sri Pekan).

IBERIAN (Ire)

Lope De Vega (Ire) – Bella Estrella (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire})

Sales info: Purchased from breeder Ballylinch Stud for 200,000gns by Charlie Hills and McKeever Bloodstock at Tattersalls October Book 2; Ballylinch retained a share when partnering with Teme Valley.

Pedigree/form notes: Out of a Listed-winning miler whose full-sister High Heeled (Ire) won the G3 St Simon S. and half-sister Faraday Light (Ire) (Rainbow Quest) produced the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Just The Judge (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}).

A winner on debut last year, Iberian was second to Haatem in the G2 Vintage S. before beating subsequent Group 1 winner Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) to win the G2 Champagne S. Ended the year with a sixth-place finish in the Dewhurst, nine lengths adrift of City Of Troy.

INISHERIN (GB)

Shamardal – Ajman Princess (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire})

Pedigree/form notes: Hails from the same family as Rosallion, their dams both being daughters of Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's stellar broodmare Reem Three (GB) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}), whose offspring also include the Group 1 winner Triple Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Ajman Princess won the G1 Prix Jean Romanet and this is her second foal.

Inisherin's only run of last year came when second to recent Listed Blue Riband Trial winner Bellum Justum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) before returning this season to win a Newcastle novice race in March beating Kalpana (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}). That form has been franked by Kalpana's wide-margin win at the Craven meeting, and she is favourite for Sunday's Listed Pretty Polly S.

NIGHT RAIDER (Ire)

Dark Angel (Ire) – Dorraar (Ire) (Shamardal)

Sales info: Bred by Linden Bloodstock, he was bought by Joe Foley on behalf of Clipper Logistics for 155,000gns as a foal at Tattersalls.

Pedigree/form notes: A half-brother to the G3 Palace House S. winner and young sire Far Above (GB), his third dam is the G2 Ribblesdale S. winner and Oaks runner-up Bahr (GB) (Generous {Ire}), whose descendants include the Group 1 winners Bahrain (GB) (Selkirk) and her son Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Night Raider was an impressive winner on debut at Southwell a fortnight before Christmas and reinforced that good impression when returning to win at the same track in March.

NOTABLE SPEECH (GB)

Dubawi (Ire) – Swift Rosę (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})

Pedigree/form notes: Like Night Raider, this colt has raced solely on the all-weather to date for his owner/breeder Godolphin, and his three wins over a mile have all come at Kempton since the end of January. His dam was runner-up in the G3 UAE Oaks and is a half-sister to the GI Natalma S. winner Wild Beauty (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Third dam Hint Of Spring (GB) is a Seeking The Gold half-sister to the dam of St Leger winner Mastery (GB) (Sulamani {Ire}).

ROSALLION (Ire) 

Blue Point (Ire) – Rosaline (Ire) (New Approach {Ire})

Pedigree/form notes: As noted above, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid's homebred is a grandson of the high-flying broodmare Reem Three and thus related to his rival Inisherin. His dam was unraced but has atoned for that by producing Blue Point's first Group 1 winner.

Rosallion comes to the Guineas without a prep run but as the winner of the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Listed Pat Eddery S. He was third behind Iberian in the Champagne S.

TASK FORCE (GB)

Frankel (GB) – Special Duty (GB) (Hennessy)

Pedigree notes: A son of two Guineas winners, this Juddmonte colt is certainly bred for the task but is yet to have been tested beyond six furlongs. The winner of the Ripon Champion Two Yrs Old Trophy, he was second to Vandeek (GB) in the G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S. and is listed as having undergone wind surgery following that run.

TEN BOB TONY (Ire)

Night Of Thunder (Ire) – Hug (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire})

Sales info: A €65,000 Goffs Orby yearling from breeder Knocktoran Stud, he was sold privately by Knockanglass Stables to Kirtlington Park Stud at the Arqana Breeze-up Sale for €100,000 after failing to meet his reserve in the ring.

Pedigree/form notes: His dam, who won over a mile and a half, is a half-sister to the 2006 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches winner Tie Black (Ire) (Machiavellian).

He was the easy winner of a Salisbury novice contest last year and posted his second win in five starts when landing a conditions race during the Craven meeting, for which he was raised from a mark of 93 to 109. A first Classic ride for in-form jockey Saffie Osborne.