Formidable challenge though it promises to be, Garswood is fancied to clinch Classic glory for Richard Fahey at Newmarket tomorrow.

Easy winner of last month’s European Free Handicap on the same course, Garswood now steps up to a mile for the first time in his short career as he contests the £400,000 Qipco 2,000 Guineas and takes on the ‘big two’, Dawn Approach and Toronado, who are unbeaten in a total of ten races.

Garswood, winner in Listed company as a juvenile as narrowly beaten in a Group 3 race at Ascot on his final start, relished the step up to seven furlongs on his reappearance with an easy Newmarket victory achieved in the hands of Malton jockey Tony Hamilton, who will be riding in his first Classic tomorrow.

Hamilton has huge belief in Garswood, as has Fahey, who believes him to be one of the best horses – if not the best – he has ever trained.

There is an air of belief surrounding Garswood.

He is considered by those closest to him to be the real deal. It may take a performance out of the very top drawer to win, but it may not beyond him. Hopes will be high in North Yorkshire at 3.50pm.

Paul Hanagan has good prospects of starting the Guineas card with a winner aboard the William Haggas-trained Danchai in the opening Makfi Suffolk Handicap.

Confined to only two outings last season, and the wide-margin winner of the first of them, Danchai is a horse with little mileage on the clock, but with bags of potential. It will be a surprise if he can not make an impression here.

David Barron has a couple of good chances on the card.

The Thirsk trainer’s star sprinter Pearl Secret makes his reappearance in the Pearl Bloodstock Palace House Stakes. He has been beaten only once in his career, in last August’s Nunthorpe Stakes on Knavesmire.

Robot Boy, a Doncaster winner last month, can also score for Barron in the Harbour Watch Handicap. He is lightly-raced and open to plenty of improvement.

The £25,000 totepool.com Thirsk Hunt Cup takes pride of place on the Thirsk progamme and anyone who saw Two For Two win at Ripon last Saturday will not be in a rush to oppose the David O’Meara-trained French recruit, the mount of Silvestre de Sousa.

Although he has been raised 9lb for that emphatic success, it may still be not enough to halt his progress.

It won’t be easy, however. Two For Two re-opposes Ripon runner-up Lord Aeryn and unlike that rival, is poorly drawn. It should be closer between the pair this time.

O’Meara can also win the totepool Handicap with Bedloe’s Island, the mount of David Nolan.

The eight-year-old shaped particularly well on his recent reappearance at Doncaster when finishing a close-up fourth in a warm handicap. With that run under his belt and well drawn here, he should go well.

The same trainer-jockey combination have another good chance on the card with the promising Chancery in the totepool Maiden Stakes.

Also worth noting at Thirsk are Tim Easterby’s Redcar winner Lilac Lace (2.45) and Chester Aristrocrat (4’00), who ran well on his reappearance to finish second.

RACING selections

Newmarket tomorrow
2.05 Danchai (NAP), 2.35 Pearl Secret, 3.10 Wigmore Hall, 3.50 Garswood, 4.25 Robot Boy, 5.00 Windhoek, 5.35 Ayaar.

Thirsk tomorrow
2.15 Champagne Babe, 2.45 Lilac Lace, 3.20 You’re The Boss, 4.00 Chester Aristocrat, 4.35 Two For Two, 5.10 Chancery, 5.45 Bedloe’s Island.

Tomorrow’s other meetings: Doncaster, Goodwood, Hexham and Newmarket.

Today’s meetings: Bangor, Chepstow, Fontwell, Lingfield and Musselburgh.