IN a routine act of Gallic indifference, the French – having mopped up Newmarket’s 2000 Guineas with Makfi – have turned their backs on Epsom in favour of keeping their equine blue bloods at home for Sunday’s equivalent colts’ classic at Chantilly.

MUCH of today’s Newmarket 2000 Guineas centres on how well favourite St Nicholas Abbey has trained on from last year. Not that he’s susceptible to not having done so but he was frighteningly good in last year’s Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster and it can be the case that the most exceptional juveniles fail to progress at three.

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien is confident would-be superstar St Nicholas Abbey is fit enough to do himself justice in the StanJames.com 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday.