Jonquil is in pole position to contest the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket for Juddmonte Farms as long as conditions remain on the fast side.
A juvenile winner on debut for Sir Michael Stoute, Jonquil disappointed on his only other outing in 2024, finishing well beaten in a Listed race at Doncaster.
Switched to Andrew Balding following the retirement of Stoute, Jonquil made his seasonal reappearance in the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on Saturday, running out an impressive winner of the seven furlong Group 3.
Jonquil is not the only Juddmonte-owned runner to have made a splash this week with Cosmic Year - trained by Harry Charlton - slashed for the first Classic of 2025 after winning at odds of 2/9 at Kempton earlier in the week to remain unbeaten after two starts.
The Guineas trials are coming thick and fast and Barry Mahon, General Manager of Ireland and European Racing for Juddmonte Farms told Racing TV's Luck On Sunday that they were keen to let the dust settle.
"I think we'll sit back and see what happens in the Craven this week," Mahon said.
"Obviously we have Field Of Gold in the Craven and he was the highest rated of the two prospects we had at two so we'll see how he gets on, sit down with the owners and make a plan.
"The one good thing for Jonquil is that Oisin [Murphy] felt fast ground was a plus and if it turns up fast at Newmarket in May, he looks the most likely as Harry's horse probably doesn't want it too quick at this stage of his life and Field Of Gold is the same.
"We wanted to give him experience more than anything. We know he is a horse with huge ability, I think he showed that last year, but it's very hard to win any Classic with just one run so it was more a case of giving him experience and I thought from that point of view it couldn't have went any better. He was able to get a lead, he was able to get horses around him and then he was able to quicken and Oisin rode him to the line so I think from an experience point of view going forward that was invaluable.
"He probably mightn't have beaten a huge amount in terms of quality when you're talking about Classics but it was the manner he done it.
"I think the stats men all back up that his last furlong was exceptional and his stride length and his percentile etc etc so we know he's hugely talented and it was more about giving him experience of the race environment."
Cosmic Year is 6/1 second favourite for the 2000 Guineas with Sky Bet who price Field Of Gold at 16/1 and Jonquil at 20/1.
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