Stan James 2,000 Guineas Betting Tips

As much as I love jump racing, it is with open arms that I'm welcoming the start of the new Flat turf season. Indeed, this time of year is extremely exciting with the first colts' Classic of the season, the Stan James 2,000 Guineas, which takes place at Newmarket on Saturday 6th May, coming into sight. At the time of writing, the Aidan O'Brien-trained duo, George Washington and Horatio Nelson, head the market with the former, winner of the National Stakes last season, the top-priced 3/1 ante- post favourite. But O'Brien, who has sent out the winner of this three times within the last decade, may again hold the key, but not with George Washington or Horatio Nelson, but with Art Museum, who can be backed at a mouthwatering 20/1 with Paddy Power. Admittedly, the son of Storm Cat hasn't achieved as much as his stablemates, in terms of the prestige of the races he has won. However, he really impressed me with the way he travelled when winning his two races, and he demonstrated that all-important ability to instantaneously accelerate when popped the question on both occasions. Indeed, the form of those races look solid too. On his debut at The Curragh in a 26-runner six-furlong maiden, Art Museum cosily beat a filly trained by Tommy Stack, Alexander Alliance, who franked the form in no uncertain terms when coasting home in a well-contested fillies' Listed event in her only subsequent start. Art Museum then followed up over the same course and distance, two weeks later when quickening up nicely off a strong pace to beat Leitra by two lengths, winning going away in the closing stages, shaping for all the world as though he would be well suited by a stiff mile as a three-year-old. He will need to improve to be a Guineas winner, but there is every reason to suspect that he will develop into a genuine, top-class colt in his second season in training, and his profile is very similar to that of Footstepsinthesand, who won his race last year for O'Brien. George Washington, in my opinion, doesn't deserve to be such a short price. The Danehill colt romped home in the Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh last August, but that was an extremely weak Group One race. Furthermore, he was workmanlike when failing to display similar pyrotechnics in the National Stakes a month later, beating Golden Arrow by two lengths. Without being disrespectful, both of those races, although Group One in status, were effectively no better than Group Three races in terms of strength in depth, and I reckon that George Washington is not the class act many seem to believe. In contrast, Horatio Nelson has proven himself in genuine Group One races and merits plenty of respect. He was unlucky in running when finishing strongly in the Dewhurst, failing by a neck to catch Sir Percy with Opera Cape a length and a half adrift in third. That was a truly-run race and the form looks sure to stand the test of time, although Horatio Nelson does shape as though he'll come into his own over farther than a mile, and I just wander whether he'll find things happening a bit too quickly in the Guineas, especially if the ground comes up on the quick side of good, as is often the case at the beginning of May. Sir Percy, to my mind, possesses less scope than some of his rivals and while it would be most unwise to write him off, I would be surprised if at least one colt didn't improve enough over the winter to have his measure on May 6. Opera Cape, like Horatio Nelson, shapes as though he'll be effective over further than a mile as the season progresses. That said, if the ground were to come up on the slow side of good, albeit an unlikely scenario, the son of Barathea would then come firmly into the reckoning. Amadeus Wolf flew the flag for the Kevin Ryan stable last season, giving the handler his first Group One victory when landing the Middle Park Stakes. It would be great to see him hold his own against the big boys - and prove that a trainer outisde the elite trio, Aidan O'Brien, Saeed bin Suroor and Sir Michael Stoute, can taste Classic glory. However, he will need to improve a great deal over the winter to win this because, looking at the overall strength of the Middle Park form, it does not look solid Group One form to my mind. In addition, there has to be a question mark over whether he will stay a mile, since he is a son of top sprinter Mozart and his forte does appear to be speed.