2,000 Guineas 2025

The first Classic of the 2025 season, the 2,000 Guineas, was run, as usual, over a straight mile on the wide expanses of the Rowley Mile Course at Newmarket on Saturday, May 3, 2025. A total of 11 colts went to post and the market was headed by Fields Of Gold, trained by John and Thady Gosden and ridden by Kieran Shoemark, who was sent off 15/8 favourite after a convincing victory over the reopposing Wimbledon Hawkeye in the Craven Stakes, over the same course and distance, in mid-April. Ruling Court, trained by Charlie Appleby and ridden by William Buick, was next best at 9/2, just ahead of Expanded, trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, at 5/1 and stable companion Shadow Of Light, ridden by Mickael Barzalona, at 6/1.

Expanded proved disappointing, weakening from over a furlong out to finish ninth, nine lengths behind the winner. Otherwise, the finish was dominated by the fancied horses. The least-fancied of the three Goldolphin runners, 50/1 outsider Tornado Alert led at a steady pace until two furlongs, but was soon tackled by Ruling Court, on the near side, and Shadow Of Light, on the far side, who pressed on together inside the final furlong. Meanwhile, Fields Of Gold, who had been left flat-footed when the pace lifted, stayed on well to join issue close home.

Ruling Court led inside the final half-furlong and kept on well to repel a final thrust from Fields Of Gold, who just snatched second from Shadow Of Light in the final strides. The first three home were separated by half a length and the same, while Tornado Alert, to his credit, kept on inside the final furlong to finish fourth, a further three-and-a-half lengths away.

Immediately afterwards, winning jockey William Buick said, “This feels special, he was so smooth throughout the race and I let him to find his feet in the dip. When he got organised, his stamina shone through and he’s a very special horse.” Ruling Court ran twice more, finishing third in the St. James’s Palace Stakes, behind Fields Of Gold, and in the Coral-Eclipse, behind Delacroix, but had to be euthanised following complications arising from the hoof disease laminitis in August 2025.