AIDAN O'BRIEN predictably dominates the front of the market for the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday, but David Simcock's RAID could provide a lively each-way alternative.

O'Brien saddles three, including favourite Gustav Klimt and Racing Post Trophy winner Saxon Warrior, but both have questions to answer and in a relatively open-looking Classic, it could pay to take a chance on an unexposed son of Havana Gold.

David Simcock has never trained a Classic winner but is no stranger to success at Group level and it has to be of interest that connections appear to be expressing more interest in Greenham Stakes fourth Raid than John Gosden's Roaring Lion, who disappointed on his return in the Craven Stakes.

Raid was a smooth late season winner at Doncaster on his debut and was a real eye-catcher in the Greenham, a recognised trial for the 2000 Guineas.

Whilst most eyes were on Sir Michael Stoute's much-talked about colt Expert Eye, Raid travelled well into the race and made some good headway furthest away from the favoured stands' rail to finish a never nearer fourth at the line.

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He should have plenty of progress in him and in a race full of horses who are likely to develop into sprinters, want a Derby trip, aren't good enough or simply are over-hyped, he looks generously priced for an each-way punt as 33-1 with Sun Bets.

Pedigree fans will be willing on Mark Johnston's regally-bred Elarqam, by two Guineas winner in Frankel and Attraction.

Charlie Appleby's Masar was a wide-margin winner of the Craven Stakes, but often these surprising results are too good to be true.

O'Brien's Gustav Klimt could be the brilliant miler of this bunch, although he's favourite more because he's trained by O'Brien than on the standard of his form.

His stablemate Saxon Warrior has been a real talking horse this week. The whispers could amount to a Derby challenge in the long-run though, with the Deep Impact colt perhaps lacking the pace for a mile.

Matt Butler’s tips for the Guineas

 2000 Guineas (3.35 Newmarket, Saturday)

• RAID each-way (add to your betslip)

1000 Guineas (3.35 Newmarket, Sunday)

• HAPPILY (add to your betslip)

O'Brien should at least pick up one Classic this weekend with HAPPILY in the Qipco 1000 Guineas on Sunday.

She arguably boasts just about the best form on offer in this race, despite racing on a sound surface in Britain on just the one occasion. She's certainly not bred to be a mud lark, considering her brother – 2000 Guineas winner Gleneagles – was kept away from soft ground wherever possible.

By beating the boys in the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, including wide-margin Craven Stakes winner Masar who finished third, she sets the standard and it's easy to offer excuses as to why she finished dead last in her Breeders' Cup run.

Happily had been due to run in the Fillies' Mile only to be scratched on the morning of the race with a temperature and, taking the possibility that she wasn't ready to run in America out of the equation, she had a bad trip in Del Mar, perhaps not coping with the sharp nature of the track.

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Her doubters, if not put off by her price or her Breeders' Cup flop, will probably point to the lack of a prep run, with only the marvellous Minding managing to win the race fresh in recent years.

With Clemmie and September not running, I Can Fly has adopted the position of O'Brien's second-string by default and she ran an encouraging race in a trial at Leopardstown last month on heavy ground. A quicker surface could see her in a better light.

Godolphin could run both the supplemented Nell Gwyn victor Soliloquy and Group 1-winner Wild Illusion, but with little between the pair it could pay to see who William Buick opts to ride.

Karl Burke's Laurens just held on to win the Fillies' Mile over course and distance, but her trainer predicted she would be better over further in her three-year-old campaign, words that are hard to forget.

The rest of the field would need to step up significantly to get involved and as boring as it might be, O'Brien's favourite looks the one to side with.

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