In the last 15 years only two ante-post favourites have won the 2,000 Guineas. This race statistic hangs like a cloud over the campaign of Jim Bolger, who’s New Approach has headed the ante-post 2,000 Guineas betting markets since they opened several months ago.

Bolger has never won the 2,000 Guineas, and must overcome not only Newmarket lore but several powerful adversaries from the Godolphin and Ballydoyle syndicates to re-script the trends for England’s first classic on Saturday.

Godolphin have their own problems to deal with. Despite fielding two runners, including 2,000 Guineas 2008 second-favourite Ibn Khaldun, Godolphin will enter Saturday’s race all too aware of the fact that they last picked up a win at the 2,000 Guineas in 1996.

With many of the top names in racing seemingly nixed by recent race trends, press and punters are looking for likely outsiders to upset the pecking order in the 2,000 Guineas 2008.

Amongst the long-odds 2,000 Guineas runners generating a buzz is Andrew Balding’s Dream Eater. Despite the fact that he has only won one race during his brief career, Dream Eater is fancied by many punters to cause on upset on Saturday. Dream Easter is priced at 66/1 by William Hill.