IT IS the first Classic weekend of the new flat season and with 15 runners set to go to post this afternoon for the 2,000 Guineas (Newmarket, 3.40), three apiece from the powerhouse yards of Aidan O’Brien camp and Charlie Appleby, you could easily surmise both these stables don’t have an outstanding candidate to go to war with.

The conclusion is that each trio are very tightly matched up both at home and on the racecourse as well, which certainly gives some kind of hope to the other nine acceptors.

Of the “big six” my preference would be for WEMBLEY (nb) (O’Brien) who skates across good ground and has been working well at Ballydoyle. Had he been better positioned through the race in the National Stakes last year I think he would have beaten Thunder Moon and I strongly expect those placings to be reversed here with a question mark about the latter getting home in a fast-run mile race.