Field Of Gold, ridden by Kieran Shoemark, was sent off the 11-8 favourite having been an impressive winner of the Craven Stakes over course and distance last month.
The grey was bidding to give John Gosden, who now trains alongside son Thady, a first 2000 Guineas winner in an illustrious career.
But he could not make up the ground after Buick had sent Ruling Court clear and went down by half a length in the first Classic of the British Flat racing season.
“William’s got first run on us. He’s finished very strongly but lack of pace and probably a little bit too far back in the field. He’s run out of track,” said Gosden senior.
“William had a length and a half on us, that’s made a difference in the end. That’s racing. The pace wasn’t quite what we’d thought it would be and probably just needed to be a bit handier.”
