Sheila Lavery has Newmarket’s Qipco 2000 Guineas in mind for New Energy after he finished third at Leopardstown on Saturday.

Having won on his debut last season he then disappointed in the Killavullen Stakes.

New Energy turned the form around in no uncertain terms with the winner of that race, though, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Glounthaune, who could finish only fifth behind Ger Lyons’ winner Dr Zempf.

“We spent all winter just trying to teach him to settle and relax and I think it did work, he still needs to settle a bit more but I’m much happier with how he ran (on Saturday) than how he ran in the Killavullan,” said Lavery.

“He came home and ate up, we were very happy with his run and all seems good.

“We were delighted with him, he wasn’t fully wound up so he should improve from that as well.”

The chestnut holds entries for both the English and Irish Guineas, though Lavery is favouring the Newmarket race providing the going does not prove to be too firm.

“As long as the ground isn’t too fast, Newmarket would be on our radar for the Guineas,” she said.

“He’s in both Irish and English, I know he’ll be below the ratings of the other horses but he’s only run three times and I think you can just put a line through his run in the Killavullan.

“I think he deserves to have his chance and if everything stays on track then that’s where we’ll be heading.

“He took the race very well, he’s got speed, he will stay as he’s got a really good cruising speed.

“That said, if Newmarket comes up too fast then he won’t go to Newmarket and we will look at the Irish Guineas.

“Either way we were very happy with him, he’s an exciting horse to have.”