Field Of Gold hardens as 2,000 Guineas favourite after Aidan O'Brien rules out his main contender

Leading Betfred 2,000 Guineas (3.35) contender Twain will miss Saturday's race at Newmarket, his trainer Aidan O'Brien has said.

The Group 1-winning juvenile is unbeaten in two starts and had been second favourite for the opening Classic, but has been ruled out following an unsatisfactory scope after work on Tuesday morning. 

Following the news, impressive Craven winner Field Of Gold hardened to a general 7-4 (from 2-1) at the head of the betting.

O'Brien said: "Unfortunately Twain just wasn't 100 per cent after his work this morning, so he's going to miss the 2,000 Guineas on Saturday. He will instead be aimed at the Irish 2,000 Guineas."

O'Brien's 2,000 Guineas team is set to be depleted further as Coolmore also said Dewhurst Stakes runner-up Expanded is likely to be his only runner on Saturday. He also has Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner Henri Matisse, Camille Pissarro and Serengeti entered.

Expanded (right): set to be Aidan O'Brien's only runner in the 2,000 GuineasCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

O'Brien added: "In Twain's absence, Expanded will now go to Newmarket on Saturday. The plan was for him to run in the Tetrarch Stakes at the Curragh on Monday, but he will come back 48 hours earlier instead."

Expanded had been a 10-1 shot on Monday, but his price has halved into 5-1 second favouritism behind Field Of Gold.

Coral's David Stevens said: "Although Twain had been displaced as Guineas favourite by the Craven winner, Field Of Gold, Aidan O’Brien’s charge was clear second best in the market, so his potential absence from Saturday’s race has shaken up the betting and left Field Of Gold as an even firmer favourite."

The 2,000 Guineas field could also include champion two-year-old Shadow Of Light, as well as the likes of Ruling Court, Green Impact and Wimbledon Hawkeye.

O'Brien still has a leading contender in Sunday's 1,000 Guineas (3.35), with the unbeaten Lake Victoria a 7-2 chance behind odds-on favourite Desert Flower.

Betfred 2,000 Guineas (3.35 Newmarket, Saturday)
Sponsors: 7-4 Field Of Gold, 5 Expanded, 13-2 Ruling Court, 7 Scorthy Champ, Shadow Of Light, 14 Green Impact, 16 bar

Derby hope Gethin ruled out until August after setback

Gethin made a splash at Newbury but has been ruled out until the summer Credit: Edward Whitaker

Gethin, as short as 20-1 for the Betfred Derby, has been ruled out of the race by trainer Owen Burrows having suffered a setback.

Burrows had been considering a Derby trial in May for the unbeaten son of Ghaiyyath but has been forced to scrap those plans. He is likely to be on the sidelines until August.

"It's nothing too serious but will rule him out of the Derby and Royal Ascot," said Burrows. "It's obviously disappointing for everyone but he's such a nice horse and it's not the end of the world."

A six-length winner on debut at Nottingham in October, Gethin started his three-year-old campaign with a smooth victory at Newbury this month and held an entry in next month's Dante at York.

"It's a shame we're not going to get the chance to step into stakes class to see where we are with him, but he's a horse I really like and hopefully he'll benefit from the time we give him now," said Burrows. "The owners have been brilliant and there's a few races we've earmarked for him in August. He'll have some nice entries later in the season in races like the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."

Stablemate Falakeyah, as short as 16-1 for the Betfred Oaks after making a winning debut at Wolverhampton in November, is on target to make her seasonal comeback in the Listed Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket on Sunday.

"Her work has been good and physically she's done well," said Burrows. "She lacks experience but we've got to get her season started. She's in the Oaks and we'll put her in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot.

"She's not a filly we're going to rush and the Oaks isn't the be-all and end-all but we felt we needed to be quite bold and to see where we stand."

Read these next:

Confirmations made for this weekend's 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket 

'They're two very high-class horses' - William Buick on his 2,000 Guineas dilemma 

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