ITV Racing Tips: Two Extra 2000 Guineas Day Picks

With the first Classic of the year on the horizon on Saturday, it's a big card on ITV Racing to get stuck into! Billy Grimshaw has nailed his colours to the gold mast in the 2000 Guineas but has two more bets, one from HQ and one at Thirsk, on the supporting card and makes the case here...

14:35 Thirsk

Thirsk get a rare afternoon in the ITV Racing spotlight this Saturday afternoon, with the Thirsk Hunt Cup the headline attraction of the day and a predictably competitive affair on the cards. Despite the amount of horses in here with chances, one sticks out to me like a sore thumb and that is dual Classic placed HI ROYAL for Kevin Ryan, who I think could well go off favourite.

This horse was second behind Chaldean at a gigantic price in the 2023 2000 Guineas and followed that up with a fabulous third in the Irish equivalent chasing home Paddington, and obviously if he was in anything like that form here he'd win by half the track. The reason he is such a big price is that his four year old season was damp squib after damp squib, however now making his handicap debut and having received glowing reports of rude health from his trainer, he makes plenty of betting appeal here.

His 2024 runs having a line struck through them does take an element of faith, however it's not like we are having to take a short price about him as he's around 7/1 at the time of writing. i hope Kevin Stott just sends the horse on and let's him get rolling as he did at his best as a three year old, because if he can rekindle the spark they won't see which way he goes. I'm recommending a win only bet as he is obviously fraught with blowout potential, but if you prefer to back each-way at these sort of prices that's absolutely fine. I'd make Obelix the main danger for wonder sprint trainer Julie Camacho, but at his best he's nowhere near the level of fellow five year old Hi Royal.

14:55 Newmarket

This will be fast and furious with the ground quick and five furlongs the trip, so I want to have a horse who is all speed on our side and although he's a pretty tricky customer, there aren't many around as rapid off the mark as DEMOCRACY DILEMMA and at 16/1 I'm willing to chance the front runner each-way in here. The five year old Cotai Glory gelding was kept busy last season and ran with plenty of credit on a number of occasions, winning at Beverley on his third last start. That is a racecourse suited more than most to these speedballs but Newmarket hardly hinders them and with the ground potentially nearly good to firm given the forecast by the time this race is off, I am hopeful he will have a fair lead at around halfway.

There are sprinters less exposed in this field and some with good form over the winter, while our pick is making his return from a break since a flop in October, but providing the break has done Democracy Dilemma good I think he is overpriced, particularly for the place part of our each-way bet. He has the high draw in eight which is another plus and it may well be a Cowell 1-2 for a long way in the race as Seven Questions - who will be wearing the same silks - is another front runner who one suspects will blast off on the other side of the track from gate two.

I wouldn't put anyone off backing the Cowell forecast with the dry ground, but of those who are nearer the top of the market than the speculative plays on the front runners I am a fan of Beautiful Diamond. She was just edged into third last season in this race and improved thereafter, while her pedigree would give encouragement she could improve at four. If she is marginally better than this time last year she'll once again go close, but Democracy Dilemma makes more appeal to me at the prices and I will be backing him each-way with a fair degree of confidence in at least partial returns.