Coronation Cup: Ghaiyyath bids to win first British Group One of the season

Trainer Charlie Appleby will be hoping Ghaiyyath can give owners Godolphin the first part of a big-race double in Friday’s first British Group One of the year – the Coronation Cup at Newmarket.

Appleby and Godophin also have the odds-on favourite Pinatubo in Saturday’s 2,000 Guineas.

Ghaiyyath heads a seven-strong field for Friday’s 12-furlong race.

Classy stayer Stradivarius, last year’s Derby winner Anthony van Dyck, trained by Aidan O’Brien, and Defoe, who won this race 12 months ago, are among the other challengers.

After a 14-length win in a German Group One last year, Ghaiyyath failed to shine in September’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

But he showed his class with success in February at Meydan with Appleby describing him as “the finished article”.

John Gosden is using the 12-furlong race as a warm-up run for Stradivarius ahead of his bid for a Gold Cup hat-trick at Royal Ascot later this month.

“As I’ve said to everybody, Stradivarius is in good form and we are looking forward to getting him going,” said Gosden, about the six-year-old who has landed a £1m bonus in each of the last two seasons for his staying exploits.

“It is the shortest trip he has run over for some time, but we need to have a prep race before the Gold Cup.

“The essential thing is that we have this prep race before he tries to defend the Gold Cup.”

O’Brien also has Broome, who came fourth in last year’s Derby, while David Simcock’s Canadian International winner Desert Encounter and the Andrew Balding-trained Alounak complete the field.