With the opening Classic of the season now less than a month away, all eyes were on Newmarket on Thursday, 16th April, for the 2026 edition of the Craven Stakes. Held over the same course and distance as the 2,000 Guineas, this event is regularly used as a stepping stone towards that prestigious Group 1 event.
Not since Haafhd in 2004 has a horse completed the Craven Stakes and 2,000 Guineas double, but there have been a few near misses: Master Of The Seas (2021), Native Trail (2022), and Field Of Gold (2025) all won the Craven Stakes before finishing second in the 2,000 Guineas.
The last-named of that trio represented the John and Thady Gosden team and was the moral winner in the eyes of many, with the blame for his defeat laid squarely at the feet of jockey Kieran Shoemark. A full 12 months on, and the Gosdens returned to the Craven Stakes with another Classic hopeful in the shape of the Frankel colt Oxagon.
Strong Claims for the Boys in Blue
Heading to Newmarket with form figures of 5-1-2-5-5, Oxagon didn’t possess the most exciting profile in the race. That honour fell to the Charlie Appleby-trained Godolphin runner, Hidden Force. Also sired by Frankel and out of the Listed-winning mare, Winter Lightning, the mount of William Buick arrived with two wins from as many starts, albeit at a relatively low level. Boasting a similar profile to the yard’s Notable Speech, who was unraced as a juvenile and won three times on the all-weather before claiming the 2,000 Guineas, Hidden Force started as the 11/10 market leader.
However, in terms of what they had achieved at the track, Hidden Force was only second best of the Godolphin runners. Hailing from the yard of Roger Varian, Avicenna also arrived with two wins from as many starts but had already struck at Listed level in the Flying Scotsman Stakes. At 11/2, he started as the third choice in the market.
But Oxagon Bursts Their Bubbles
| Positon | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Oxagon | John & Thady Gosden | Oisin Murphy | 7/4 |
| 2nd | Avicenna | Roger Varian | Ray Dawson | 11/2 |
| 3rd | Hidden Force | Charlie Appleby | William Buick | 11/10 |
Despite all of those wins in the form figures of Hidden Force and Avicenna, it was Oxagon who started with the highest rating, and comfortably so at that – a mark of 112 placing fully nine pounds clear of his nearest rival.
That lofty mark came courtesy of the company the colt kept during his juvenile campaign. Following an eight-length romp in a novice event at Sandown on his second start, he finished a close second to Puerto Rico in the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster. Next time out, he again ran a fine race when finishing fifth behind Gewan by three and a half lengths in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at this track. His last of five efforts in the Futurity Trophy was something of a non-event, with Oisin Murphy allowing Oxagon to come home in his own time in the unsuitable heavy ground.
Those solid efforts in defeat didn’t go entirely unnoticed by punters, with Oxagon sent off at a well-supported 7/4 for the Craven Stakes. Those who sided with proven class over potential had few moments of concern. Returning to quicker ground and going in first-time cheekpieces, the strapping bay was given a well-executed front-running ride by the champion jockey. In front almost from the moment the stalls opened, he swatted the challenges of Hidden Force and Avicenna aside with relative ease to post a comfortable two-length success.
Odds Slashed for 2,000 Guineas Glory
On paper, the 2026 Craven Stakes does not appear to have been a vintage edition. However, the quality of the race will be more accurately judged as the season unfolds. For now, the bookmakers were impressed with the winner’s performance. As big as 50/1 for the 2,000 Guineas before the race, Oxagon was cut to a best price of 16/1 for the May 2 contest.
A First for the Gosden Team?
Having operated at the top end of the sport for decades, there are few gaps on the John Gosden CV, with two Epsom Derbys, four Epsom Oaks, one 1,000 Guineas, five St Legers, and three wins in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe among the selected highlights. Despite that glittering record, he has yet to claim the 2,000 Guineas, although he has come pretty close. Kingman lost out in the dying strides when second in 2014, while Kingman’s son, Field Of Gold, went down by the same margin when getting going all too late in 2025.
In the week before the Craven Stakes, the Gosden team suffered a blow, with the news that a minor injury would see leading fancy Publish miss his 2,000 Guineas assignment. In the improving Oxagon, they may have the colt to fill that gap.