Who are the favourites and how are the markets shaping up for the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas?

The Betfred 2,000 Guineas and 1,000 Guineas kickstart the Flat season at Newmarket this weekend. Here we take a look at the markets for the first two Classics . . .

Betfred: 2 Field Of Gold, 5 Twain, 7 Shadow Of Light, 8 Ruling Court, Scorthy Champ, 10 Expanded, 14 Cosmic Year, Green Impact, 16 bar

Field Of Gold is a firm 2-1 general favourite for the opening Classic (3.35) on Saturday on the back of his impressive win in the Craven Stakes this month.

Aidan O’Brien’s chief hope Twain has a 2-2 record, winning the Criterium International at Saint Cloud on his final start at two.

Scorthy Champ is another leading contender from Ireland. The Joseph O’Brien-trained colt landed the National Stakes at the Curragh last year.

Shadow Of Light and Expanded are closely matched on the Dewhurst form when just a neck split the pair.

Shadow Of Light (left) gets up late to catch Expanded (right) and Ancient Truth

Shadow Of Light (left) gets up late to catch Expanded (right) in the DewhurstCredit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

Betfred: 10-11 Desert Flower, 7-2 Lake Victoria, 5 Red Letter, 12 Bedtime Story, 14 Duty First, 16 Exactly, 25 Chantilly Lace, 33 bar

Godolphin’s Desert Flower is a short-price favourite to land the 1,000 Guineas (3.35) on Sunday.

Charlie Appleby’s filly has a perfect 4-4 record and was an easy winner of the Fillies’ Mile on her final start as a juvenile. She impressed in a recent piece of work on the Rowley Mile.

Desert Flower (William Buick) impressed in exercise on the Rowley Mile

Desert Flower: worked well on the Rowley Mile this monthCredit: Edward Whitaker

Racing Post Ratings, however, suggest second favourite Lake Victoria is the one to beat. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies’ Turf winner is unbeaten in five starts and has a 1lb higher adjusted RPR for this race than Desert Flower.

Juddmonte, the owners of Field Of Gold, have another Classic candidate in Red Letter, who was a head second to Lake Victoria on her debut and was unlucky not to finish closer to the same rival in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.

‘She’s in the Guineas as her work has been very good and we have a high opinion of her’

Why hasn’t there been more fanfare about her trial win? This 1,000 Guineas contender is overpriced to follow up at Newmarket