John Gosden’s Oxagon has emerged as a live 2000 Guineas contender after a commanding return in the Betway Craven Stakes at Newmarket, where a switch to cheekpieces helped unlock a more focused performance.

The Clarehaven handler admitted the colt had been mishandled as a juvenile, pointing to a heavy-ground run at Doncaster in the Futurity as a race they quickly chose to put behind them.

“We stupidly ran him in heavy ground at Doncaster in the Futurity, but thankfully the jockey was cleverer than me and pulled him up after two furlongs and just let him enjoy his day out.

“He's trained well and the addition of cheekpieces has just focused his mind. We popped them on for a piece of work and liked the way he went in them and I think it's just focused him.

“Things come easy to him and he's quite dreamy at home, always looking for low-flying seagulls, so it's just keeping him on the job at hand.”

That added clarity was evident on the Rowley Mile, where Oxagon—sent off 7-4 for his seasonal return—travelled strongly under Oisin Murphy and powered clear to score by two lengths, reasserting his place in Classic calculations after his last run of 2025 when he finished last of five behind Hawk Mountain in testing conditions at Doncaster.

Co-trainer John Gosden, who trains in partnership with his son Thady, believes the colt still has more to come and suggested the Sandown victory last year was an early sign of his ability, even if things did not go to plan later in the season.

“We were saying after he won at Sandown (last year) we had a high opinion of him and we probably let the race get away at Doncaster (Champagne Stakes), but we'll probably see the winner Puerto Rico back here in two weeks' time.

Oxagon threw his hat into the 2000 Guineas ring with a front-running victory in the Betway Craven Stakes.”

Bookmakers reacted by cutting Oxagon’s Guineas odds from 50-1 to 25-1, with connections now prepared to take their chance in the season’s opening Classic. Gosden also highlighted his stable’s recent Craven record, while acknowledging the bigger target still awaits.

“Another Craven, we're quite good at winning that!

“Oisin feels it's an open Guineas and we should go for it. It doesn't worry me that I've never won it. Everyone thinks I have sleepless nights about it, but it would be great to have a runner, so let's enjoy the day and hope the horse is in great order.”

With key rivals such as Futurity Trophy winner Hawk Mountain and Hankelow absent due to drying ground conditions, dual Kempton scorer Hidden Force had gone off 11-10 favourite, but it was Oxagon who ultimately stole the spotlight and strengthened Gosden’s Classic hand.