April sees key trials for the opening Classic of the season on both sides of the Irish Sea. Topping the pile on British shores is the Craven Stakes at Newmarket, which has the benefit of taking place over the same course and distance as the 2,000 Guineas, and consequently helps to answer key questions as to how well the runners handle the notorious dip.
Often listed as THE key trial for the big event in early May, Indestructible handed Karl Burke a first win in the race this year and is now in to as short as 14/1 in places for the 2,000 Guineas. He would however be something of an outlier were he to follow up in that event. Here we take a look back at how the past 10 Craven winners have fared in the big one, and how the rest of their Classic campaign panned out. Note that the Craven Stakes was cancelled in 2020 due to the global health crisis.
Craven Winner Performance in the 2,000 Guineas
| Year | Horse | Result | SP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Trumpet Major | 4th | 8/1 |
| 2013 | Toronado | 4th | 11/4 |
| 2014 | Toormore | 7th | 15/2 |
| 2015 | Kool Kompany | 13th | 20/1 |
| 2016 | Stormy Antarctic | 11th | 7/1 |
| 2017 | Eminent | 6th | 5/1 |
| 2018 | Masar | 3rd | 5/2F |
| 2019 | Skardu | 3rd | 8/1 |
| 2021 | Master Of The Seas | 2nd | 6/1 |
| 2022 | Native Trail | 2nd | 5/4F |
2012: Trumpet Major
- Trainer – Richard Hannon Snr
- Sire – Arakan
2,000 Guineas Performance
- Result – 4th
- SP – 8/1
Rest of Classic Season
Following his solid effort in fourth to Camelot, the Richard Hannon colt bombed out when last of 10 in the Irish 2000, before picking up his only subsequent win of the season when dropping to Group 3 level in the RSA Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood.
2013: Toronado
- Trainer – Richard Hannon Snr
- Sire – High Chaparral
2,000 Guineas Performance
- Result – 4th
- SP – 11/4
Rest of Classic Season
No match for Dawn Approach in the 2,000 Guineas, Toronado then went down by just a short head to that rival in the St James’s Palace Stakes, before finally mastering his Irish rival to land the Sussex Stakes in grand style.
2014: Toormore
- Trainer – Richard Hannon Jr
- Sire – Arakan
2,000 Guineas Performance
- Result – 7th
- SP – 15/2
Rest of Classic Season
The Craven win was to prove the seasonal highlight for Toormore. Fading in the closing stages that day, he failed to re-enter the winner’s enclosure, but did make the frame in the Group 2 Lennox Stakes and International Topkapi Trophy in Turkey, and the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
2015: Kool Kompany
- Trainer – Richard Hannon Jr
- Sire – Jeremy
2,000 Guineas Performance
- Result – 13th
- SP – 20/1
Rest of Classic Season
Beaten by 10½ lengths behind Gleneagles, Kool Kompany ultimately proved to be a notch below the top level, being beaten a similar distance when dropped to sprinting in the Commonwealth Cup, before posting his best effort at three when second in the Group 3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood.
2016: Stormy Antarctic
- Trainer – Ed Walker
- Sire – Stormy Atlantic
2,000 Guineas Performance
- Result – 11th
- SP – 7/1
Rest of Classic Season
Another runner for whom a win in the Craven proved to be something of a false dawn. Nearer last than first in the 2,000 Guineas, he subsequently performed well to finish second in the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat but failed to trouble the judge in either the Jacques Le Marois or Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
2017: Eminent
- Trainer – Martyn Meade
- Sire – Frankel
2,000 Guineas Performance
- Result – 6th
- SP – 5/1
Rest of Classic Season
Eminent failed to follow in the hoofprints of his illustrious sire when only sixth in the Guineas, and continued to run to a similar level throughout the season, finishing fourth in the Derby, fifth in the Coral Eclipse, and third in the Irish Champion – his only win coming when having his sights lowered in a Group 2 in France.
2018: Masar
- Trainer – Charlie Appleby
- Sire – New Approach
2,000 Guineas Performance
- Result – 3rd
- SP – 5/2F
Rest of Classic Season
Unable to live with the pace of Saxon Warrior in the closing stages of the 2,000 Guineas, Masar then went on to cover himself in glory when causing a 16/1 upset in the Derby, handing both Godolphin and Charlie Appleby a first success in Britain’s greatest flat race.
2019: Skardu
- Trainer – William Haggas
- Sire – Shamardal
2,000 Guineas Performance
- Result – 3rd
- SP – 8/1
Rest of Classic Season
Skardu was possibly a little unfortunate in the 2,000 Guineas, finishing best of the 16 runners who headed up the centre of the track, only to finish behind Magna Grecia and King Of Change, who had stuck to the stands side rail. That overall level of performance was repeated, but not improved upon, with fourth-placed efforts in the Irish 2,000 and St James’s Palace Stakes.
2021: Master Of The Seas
- Trainer – Charlie Appleby
- Sire – Dubawi
2,000 Guineas Performance
- Result – 2nd
- SP – 6/1
Rest of Classic Season
Master Of The Seas couldn’t have come much closer to following up in the Guineas, losing out to Poetic Flare by just a short head in an absolute thriller. Faced with a slight setback following that effort, he wasn’t quite so good on his return, finishing third in the Group 2 Joel Stakes, and well behind the brilliant Baeed when seventh in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes.
2022: Native Trail
- Trainer – Charlie Appleby
- Sire – Oasis Dream
2,000 Guineas Performance
- Result – 2nd
- SP – 5/4F
Rest of Classic Season
A highly impressive winner of this race in 2022, Native Trail was hotly fancied in the 2,000 Guineas, only to lose out by three quarters of a length to stablemate, Coroebus. Compensation was swift in coming, with an excellent success in the Irish 2,000, before he again ran with real credit to finish behind only Vadeni and Mishriff in the Coral Eclipse, before running flat in his final start in the Juddmonte International.