A Guide to the 2,000 Guineas Stakes
The 2,000 Guineas Stakes can claim to be perhaps the most unique of all the
British Triple Crown Races. A one-mile, straight-line dash on the grass of
Newmarket Racecourse in Surrey, the race captivates a nation of racing fans and
bettors. Find out more about what makes the 2,000 Guineas Stakes so special and
how to pick the winners.
The 2,000 Guineas Stakes proudly stands as one of the oldest and most
prestigious of all
horse races
held in Great Britain, an area known for its love of Thoroughbred horse
racing. It is one of the more unique Group 1 stakes races of renown in that it
is held at a distance of one mile on a straight-line course known as the Rowley
Mile. This track presents a unique set of challenges for the three-year-olds who
are competing.
Part of the reason that the 2,000 Guineas Stakes holds such allure for horse
racing fans is the fact that it has been in existence since 1809. It is also
important as it is the first leg of the British Triple Crown. When you consider
the unique setting as well, it’s easy to understand why it is such an important
race in the world of Thoroughbred racing. And also why it is a popular event for
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In addition to its obvious importance to the competitors, the 2,000 Guineas
Stakes is also known for the way that it attracts rabid betting interest. People
wager at the actual event, in betting shops all over the world, and via online
horse racing betting sites. However they manage it, the horse racing bettors,
also known as punters in English slang, truly have excellent opportunities for
profit at this historic race.
History of the 2,000 Guineas Stakes
Interestingly enough, the founder of the 2,000 Guineas Stakes, Sir Charles
Bunbury, also had a hand in creating another British Triple Crown race, the
Epsom Derby. The Jockey Club was formed in Newmarket, Surrey, in 1809, and that
same year, the first 2,000 Guineas was held via the sponsorship of that club. It
derived its name from the amount of money designated for the purse, with the
winner’s share going to a horse named Wisdom the first year. (Currently, the
race is sponsored by QIPCO, which is often attached to the name in marketing
materials.)
Five years later, its sister race, the 1,000 Guineas, took place for the
first time as well and would join the 2,000 Guineas as one of the five British
races designated as “Classics.” As time went on, horse racing enthusiasts
started to attach the name Triple Crown to three races for British
three-year-olds. The 2,000 Guineas Stakes was the first on the calendar each
year, followed by the Epson Derby and the St. Leger Stakes.
As this
Triple Crown concept caught on, the 2,000 Guineas Stakes really started to
gain in popularity. The race now serves as a huge attraction for racing fans who
flock to Newmarket each spring to witness it. Bettors also look forward to
backing their favorite horses via on-site and online betting.
Unique Facets of the 2,000 Guineas Stakes
The 2,000 Guineas Stakes takes place each year either in late April or early
May. It is held at the Rowley Mile portion of historic Newmarket in Suffolk.
Three-year-old fillies and colts are allowed to participate, although fillies
have their own special race known as the 1,000 Guineas, which is held at the
same location just before the 2,000 Guineas. Although the names have remained,
purses for each race are now equal at 500,000 British Pounds.
Since it takes place at such an early point in the season for
three-year-olds, competitors in the 2,000 Guineas, which is run on a grass
course and is a Group 1 race, often come in with very little seasoning. It can
sometimes make for an unpredictable race, as horse racing bettors have little in
the way of past performances on which to base their selections. Upsets are
common, although the winners of the race usually go on to great subsequent
success.
Another factor of the 2,000 Guineas Stakes that makes it so fascinating is
the variety of each year’s typical field. Normal
Group 1 races are segmented somewhat by the distance of the race. But
because the one-mile distance of the Guineas sits somewhere between a sprint and
a long-distance grind, it opens up the field.
The 2,000 Guineas will obviously attract the top three-year-old talent who
are bred for longer distances, since many of them will want to come up with a
win to capture the first leg of the Triple Crown. But there is also usually a
contingent of horses who are bred for and are familiar with the one-mile
distance. Added to that, you will often see sprinters in the field who are
trying to make their marks by stretching it out just a little bit.
All of that variety adds to the unpredictability. There are many different
strategies for bettors who are taking on the 2,000 Guineas Stakes. Whatever you
choose, one thing that is for certain is that the unique set-up of the track
really ups the ante on the excitement.
The straight-line dash provides each jockey with an opportunity to decide how
much they should ask of their horses without having to worry about turns. At
about three-fifths of the race, a landmark known as “The Bushes” signals that
the end is near. Horses must then navigate “The Dip,” a quick downhill section
that leads to an uphill sprint toward the finish line.
2,000 Guineas Stakes Historic Races
Bettors had an unusually large field from which to choose in that year’s race, as 28 competitors went to the starting gate. Diolite came up a winner.
Speaking of the horse racing bettors, those who picked Gilles de Retz in this race had a field day, as he won at 50-1. But the bigger story was that he was trained by Helen Johnson Houghton, making her the first female trainer to win the Guineas. She wasn’t recognized as such until years after the fact because the Jockey Club did not offer licenses to women trainers at the time of the race.
Royal Palace and Sir Ivor would win the 2,000 Guineas in these years, and each would go on to win the Epsom Derby. Both were denied of the Triple Crown at the St. Leger Stakes, and many racing fans began to wonder if there would again be a Triple Crown winner in Great Britain.
Nijinsky would roll to a victory in the Guineas on his way to the Triple Crown. No Thoroughbred has managed the feat since then.
Many racing experts believe this was among the toughest fields in the history of the 2,000 Guineas Stakes. Brigadier Gerard, who was well-suited to the mile distance, won as part of an amazing career with 17 wins in 18 races.
A strike among stable workers caused the starting gate to be moved up a little bit, making the race shorter than usual. Some believe this cost superstar Grundy the race, as it was instead captured by Bolkonski.
Nureyev came into the race unbeaten and crossed the line first. But he caused interference during the race, leading race stewards to award the Guineas to Known Fact.
Two unbeaten horses went toe-to-toe in this edition of the 2,000 Guineas Stakes. Pennekamp came out on top of Celtic Swing.
Sea the Stars, who would add stakes wins in the Epsom Derby, the Eclipse Stakes, and the Arc de Triomphe to his illustrious record, proved a convincing winner of the Guineas.
The race was won by Camelot, who followed that up by winning the Epsom Derby. He then attempted to become the first Triple Crown winner in 42 years, only to come up short in second in the St. Leger Stakes.
Recent 2,000 Guineas Stakes Winners
| Year | Horse | Jockey | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Night of Thunder | Kieren Fallon | After the Guineas, this horse would not win again for the remainder of the 2014 season |
| 2015 | Gleneagles | Ryan Moore | Was a much-decorated two-year-old champion before winning the Guineas at age three |
| 2016 | Galileo Gold | Frankie Dettori | Won the Guineas in his first start of the year at fine odds of 14-1 |
| 2017 | Churchill | Ryan Moore | Proved his excellence at the distance of a mile by also going on to win the Irish version of the 2,000 Guineas |
| 2018 | Saxon Warrior | Donnacha O’Brien | It was all in the family for this winner, as jockey O’Brien’s father Aiden was the trainer |
Betting Tips on the 2,000 Guineas Stakes
The 2,000 Guineas Stakes attracts a great deal of betting interest each and
every year. Perhaps you are new to
this aspect of
horse racing. You can learn quickly, though, allowing you to make a bet in
person or to do some online gambling.
Online Wagering for the 2,000 Guineas Stakes
If you can make it to the Newmarket Racecourse in Surrey, you can simply
place your wager with one of the on-site bookmakers. They tend to offer fixed
odds on horses, but those odds might be subtly different from one bookie to the
next. Or you can wager by tote, which puts all bets into specific pools and then
determines the odds based on the amount placed on each horse in each pool.
Of course, most people can’t possibly get to that specific location for the
2,000 Guineas. Luckily, the internet offers you the chance to bet on the race as
if you were there. Online horse betting has become an increasingly popular
practice, allowing you to get in on the action without having to travel.
The 2,000 Guineas Stakes is an extremely popular and important race in the
Thoroughbred racing realm, which means you shouldn’t have an issue finding a
website. But you should still do due diligence to find the best site. Look for
one that offers ample bonuses and allows you to put your money in and take it
out without any hassles.
Be sure to also check out the reputation of the site in question. Many have
been in existence long enough to build up a solid following. If you should find
one that has received poor customer reviews or might be a relatively new entity,
you should probably skip it and look for one that is established and
well-considered in the market.
Types of Bets for the 2,000 Guineas Stakes
Finding out which
types of bets really suit your style can be a process that only really comes
to fruition with experience. But you can keep it simple and still have a lot of
fun wagering on the 2,000 Guineas. You can then place an online wager and have a
pretty good idea of your chances of winning.
If you’re looking for bets that are simple and relatively easy to win, you
should try a straight bet like a win or a place. You need only bet a minimum
amount and can choose a horse that you think will either prevail in the 2,000
Guineas for a win bet, or finish in first, second, or third in the order, which
satisfies the requirements for a place bet. These wagers might not pay a lot (or
they might, if you pick a long shot), but your chances of winning are best with
these bets.
By contrast, the bets known as accumulators are tough to win, but they
usually pay off much more, even with a small wager. An accumulator requires you
to hit on a series of bets involving multiple horses. Your stake rises with each
part of the accumulator that you win, but it is a loss even if one part of the
bet comes up short.
In the case of accumulators, they can be as simple or as complex as you might
like them to be. The point of them is to take advantage when you feel strongly
about several horses in a single race or even in multiple races.
Picking Winners of the 2,000 Guineas Stakes
It can be difficult to find the right method of picking winners of such a
unique race. But many of the
best strategies
for choosing horses apply to any kind of race. It is often a combination of
looking through past performances, considering other elements that can affect
the horse, and then just following your gut feeling.
One important aspect of finding winners for the Guineas is the human element.
Because it is such a unique format, certain jockeys and trainers have a kind of
formula for performing well. Those men and women should be circled as possible
“x” factors that could push a horse that might otherwise be an also-ran over the
top.
Studying a race program can help you feel out how the horses are trending. If
a horse hasn’t recently run, take a look at any information considering their
workouts. You should also pay close attention to the distance, since many horses
are bred specifically with success at a mile in mind.
2,000 Guineas Stakes Fast Facts
Who are the most successful jockeys in the race’s history?
That would be Jem Robinson, who guided nine winners in the 19th century.
Lester Piggott, who has more Classics winners than anyone in British history,
won the Guineas four times in four different decades. Since 2000, Kieren Fallon
has led all jockeys with five wins in the race.
Who are the most successful trainers in the race’s history?
John Scott’s seven wins in the 1800s seemed like a record that would stand
forever. But Aiden O’Brien smashed that mark with his eighth win in 2017 and
then added another with Saxon Warrior in 2018.
What was the biggest upset in the history of the Guineas?
Rockavon stunned the faithful in 1961 with a victory at 66-1.
What was the largest margin of victory by a race winner?
Tudor Minstrel overwhelmed the competition in 1947 by eight lengths.
Who was the fastest winner of the 2,000 Guineas Stakes?
In 1994, Mister Baileys won the race in 1 minute, 35 and eight-tenths
seconds, the fastest time ever.
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