Racing

Bay City Roller could prove a 2025 chart-topper for George Scott

Trainer mulling run in Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas for unbeaten two-year-old following win in Doncaster

Jockey Callum Shepherd on Bay City Roller. File photograph: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Jockey Callum Shepherd on Bay City Roller. File photograph: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Chris Phillips, PA
Thu Mar 27 2025 - 17:51

George Scott is leaning towards returning the unbeaten Bay City Roller in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas in late May.

The son of New Bay concluded an impressive two-year-old season with victory in the Group Two Champagne Stakes at Doncaster to extend his winning run to three from three.

Previous to that, the Victorious Racing-owned colt had secured wins at Sandown and Chelmsford before the decision was taken to step him up to pattern company.

And he did not disappoint, quickening inside the final furlong under Callum Shepherd to get the better of Monumental on Town Moor.

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Scott is excited by what he might have with Bay City Roller and made an early decision to swerve Newmarket and the English 2,000 Guineas in favour of an assignment that may better suit his charge.

He said: “I’m very, very pleased with him. He looks to have strengthened up well over the winter. I actually haven’t moved him back yet into faster work because he’s going to start in either the French or more likely the Irish Guineas. So we’ll have a little bit more time.

“I couldn’t be more pleased with him, to be honest, especially in the last two weeks. I’ve allowed myself a little bit to dream with him. He’s been training nicely, he’s got a lovely pedigree for a horse that should improve with a bit of time and physically he is a very, very impressive horse to see train.

“We’re hoping to start him in one of those Guineas and then just take it race by race with him. He definitely happy with some cut in the ground. He’s proven himself on better ground, but I wouldn’t be shy of any rain for him in the future.

“We wanted to keep all options open for him [entry in Irish Derby] when those entries were made and on his pedigree you wouldn’t rule him out of getting that distance, but just looking at him now as things stand that might change.

“He looks a horse that’s built to go a mile, maybe a mile and a quarter. He doesn’t look like a conventional mile-and-a-half horse, but things can change so I want to leave all options open for him.

“The [English Guineas] was a bit too soon, but I just felt that maybe he would be better suited to either Longchamp or the Curragh, just the manner in which he races.

“We kind of made a conscious decision early doors that we weren’t going to go for the English Guineas and I’ve been comfortable with that decision throughout the winter. I really think one of the other two races will be a better starting point for him.

“I would love to see him in a St James’s Palace, but it’s unlikely that he’s going to get his ground, there’s just no way that I’d run him on summer fast ground. He just won’t run on that.”