<p>A CRACKING race looks in prospect for today's 2,000 Guineas and IBN KHALDUN is selected to floor the favourite, Jim Bolger's New Approach.</p>
<p>It's about time Goldolphin came up with the good in this early-season classic and Ibn Khaldun is beautifully bred by Dubai Destination out of Gossamer, a mare not far off the top bracket herself.</p>
<p>Why have I gone off New Approach will all his proven credentials. Well in the recent pictures my gut instinct was that he had not grown very much since carrying all before him in his two-year-old days, and with the favourite shortening all the time, 7-4 is a crazy price to take for a horse without a run this season - even if Bolger is a master horseman.</p>
<p>By Galileo, he looks a cert to get the Epsom Derby distance and that surely must be at the back of connections' minds. He may not have everything pinned on to this one day.</p>
<p> Ibn Khladun has drifted in the ante-post market and that's probably because the form of the Racing Post Mile last back-end, which he won at Doncaster, does not look to amount to a hill of beans.</p>
<p>But it was more important that day that he showing a very impressive cruising speed and superb acceleration at the end of his race - vital components for a top miler.</p>
<p>True, the runner-up at Doncaster, City Leader was beaten out of sight behind Twice Over and Raven's Pass in last month's Newmarket Craven Stakes, which tends to crab the form, but my advice is not to read too much into that.</p>
<p>City Leader needs to drop a few pounds to get a decent chance and he was most unlikely to have had the fuse in the keg that day.</p>
<p>You cannot ingore Henrythenavigator representing Aidan O'Brien, who knows exactly what is needed when the big races come around.</p>
<p> Although beaten three lengths by New Approach last year, this horse is by Kingmambo and will relish the good to firm going after running mainly on a yielding surface last year.He was also conceding 3lb to New Approach when they clashed and on level terms this time, he must be a lot closer.</p>
<p>We are looking for a champion here though and the overall package does not quite ring true, but the fear is there!</p>
<p>Ibn Khaldun, Henrythenavigator and New Approach is my idea of the pecking order at the line.
PASSAGE OF TIME looked a class above the rest ifor Henry Cecil in the Dahlia Stakes (2.45) at headquarters and others to look out for are FLAWED GENIUS (2.10) - a Michael Stoute runner in a good-class-handicap - and the unexposed CUBAN MISSILE. (5.10).</p>
<p>Elsewhere, I like the look of EXTRATERRESTRIAL in the Thirsk Hunt Cup (3.45) at the Yorkshire track.</p>
<p>Beaten by a progressive John Gosden winner last time out, he has only gone up 2lb and clocked a fanstatic time.</p>
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