Galileo Gold remains in contention to compete in this month’s Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, but only if the ground comes up soft.

The three-year-old looked in impressive form as he took part in a racecourse gallop at the Rowley Mile this week, impressing onlookers as well as jockey Frankie Dettori.

The Hugo Palmer-trained horse had been tipped to race in either the French 2000 Guineas or the French Derby, but Al Shaqab racing manager Harry Herbert has now confirmed that the Chestnut Colt could stay closer to home if the ground remains soft at Newmarket.

He said: “I suspect we’ll go to the French Guineas as he loves soft ground. We might make a late call, though, as he’ll be left in the English Guineas and if it did come up soft then he could well run. He’s done very well physically over the winter and he looked fantastic at Newmarket this week.”

Galileo Gold has proven in the past to be a formidable horse on the soft ground after securing impressive victories at Goodwood and Haydock Park last summer, and he could well be a contender once again if he competes in the race on April 30.

The colt is available at 34.00 to secure victory in the race, while the early favourite for success is the Aidan O’Brien-trained Air Force Blue, who is on offer at 1.80.