The start of the new flat season is well and truly up and running with Newmarket hosting the three-day Guineas meeting.

On Friday, the first classic on the flat the 2,000 Guineas was won by the Godolphin owned Ruling Court ridden by William Buick and trained by Charlie Appleby.

The victory kicked off what can only be described as a phenomenal weekend for Godolphin after claiming the second classic of the season the 1,000 Guines along with the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.

Charlie Appleby saddled his third 2,000 Guineas winner in four years after Ruling Court held off the fast finishing Field Of Gold.

The 9-2 shot, trained for owners Godolphin by Charlie Appleby, was the pick of jockey William Buick and proved the right choice.

Stablemate Shadow Of Light led in the closing stages but eventually finished third with another Godolphin runner, Tornado Alert, in fourth.

“We’ll let the dust settle and enjoy the moment,” said Appleby, who was winning the 2,000 Guineas for the third year in quick succession after Coroebus (2022) and Notable Speech 12 months ago. “Then we can map out the rest of the season. It’s special to win this. You have to enjoy these days.”

Field Of Gold, ridden by Kieran Shoemark, was sent off the 11-8 favourite having been an impressive winner of the Craven Stakes over course and distance last month.

The grey was bidding to give John Gosden, who now trains alongside son Thady, a first 2000 Guineas winner in an illustrious career. However the wait goes on for team Gosden who are still waiting to win this classic after 35 years.

Twenty-four hours later the same combination was back in the winners’ enclosure after Desert Flower captured the 1,000 Guineas to give Charlie Appleby and William Buick a first triumph in the Betfred 1,000 Guineas.

The daughter of Night Of Thunder powered out of the dip to overtake the Ollie Sangster-trained Flight.

The Guineas double was last done by a trainer when Aidan O'Brien won both in 2019 with Magna Grecia and Hermosa. More recently, jockey James Doyle scored in 2022 on Coroebus and Cachet.

Appleby said of the even-money winner: "Watching it, you'd have said we had a battle on our hands, but I knew as soon as she hit the rising ground she'd find another gear. She trains on a hill at home, so hills don't worry her.

"We saw it in the Fillies' Mile and the May Hill that she just goes through those gears, and at one point she looks a bit sticky, particularly on this quicker ground. I said to Will to just get her into a rhythm as we didn't want to be putting her on her head running into the dip, as that is when they can stumble a bit and struggle to find their feet."

Appleby, who had a treble on the card and saw 14 of his 16 runners at the Guineas meeting finish in the first three, said: “It's been an amazing weekend for Godolphin. I'm in an incredibly lucky position.”

Elsewhere, at the Punchestown Festival, the British raiders had to wait until the final day of the festival to claim a Grade 1with Lulamba in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle. Overall a fantastic week with eight winners for British trainers to deny another hatful of winners for Willie Mullins.

By Peter Moore