All rise for Ruling Court

One colt's 2000 Guineas win spearheads a special weekend for Godolphin, and Galopin Des Champs is phenomenal

- By JENNIFER DONALD

THE Flat season erupted with an astonishing weekend of top-class sport, in which Godolphin landed the first two British Classics, plus the Kentucky Derby and Oaks in the US.

The action began with the breathtaking sight of the finest three-year-old colts in full flight up Newmarket's Rowley Mile for the highly anticipated Betfred 2000 Guineas.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Ruling Court triumphed in the one-mile contest for jockey William Buick, effortlessly shrugging off a late challenge from the fast-finishing favourite Field Of Gold to score by half a length.

This was a third win in the past four years in the colts' Classic for owners Godolphin, whose highly regarded Shadow Of Light (Mickael Barzalona) and Tornado Alert (Silvestre de Sousa) were third and fourth.

"Ruling Court has been an exciting horse and we came here with a lot of confidence," said Appleby, who also saddled last year's 2000 Guineas victor Notable Speech and won with Coroebus in 2022. "Everyone had their chance to have a crack but he outstayed them."

Ruling Court, a US-born son of Justify, was a €2.3m (£1.95m) purchase at last year's Arqana Breeze-Up Sale and an impressive winner of Meydan's Jumeirah 2000 Guineas in his first start this season.