The QIPCO 1000 Guineas is the fillies’ equivalent of the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, both of which are run over the historic Rowley Mile at Newmarket. As with the 2000 Guineas, the Classic is so named because the original prize fund was 1,000 Guineas. The youngest of the British Classics, the 1000 Guineas was first staged in 1814 and won by Charlotte, ridden by Bill Clift and owned by Christopher Wilson, the same combination responsible for Wizard, the initial victor of the 2000 Guineas.
Like the QIPCO 2000 Guineas, the QIPCO 1000 Guineas is part of the QIPCO British Champions Series and has a total prize fund of £500,000 in 2023.
Four fillies have completed the 1000 Guineas-2000 Guineas double. The last was Sceptre in 1902, who was also successful in the Oaks and St Leger. The other fillies to win both Newmarket Classics are Crucifix (1840), Formosa (1868) and Pilgrimage (1878).
In 1825, the Duke of Grafton’s Tontine was the sole participant in the 1000 Guineas. At the other end of the spectrum, the largest field was 29 in 1926, when Pillion was successful at 25-1. The maximum field size allowed now is 25.
Homecoming Queen recorded the greatest winning margin since 1900 when scoring by nine lengths in 2012 under Ryan Moore. During the same period, six winners have scraped home by a short-head, namely Atmah (1911), Fair Isle (1930), Highclere (1974), Nocturnal Spree (1975), Oh So Sharp (1985) and Las Meninas (1994). Jacqueline Quest was a nose in front of Special Duty in the 2010 renewal only for the places to be reversed in the stewards’ room.
The longest-priced 1000 Guineas winner is Billesdon Brook, returned at 66-1 in 2018. The shortest-priced was Crucifix, whose odds were 1-10 when taking the 1840 renewal.
A total of 81 of the 209 runnings have been won by either the favourite or a joint-favourite – a strike rate of just under 39 per cent. Sent off at 11-10, Minding in 2016 was the most recent winning favourite.
A total of 49 fillies have won both the 1000 Guineas and Oaks at Epsom Downs. Neva was the first in 1817 and Love the latest in 2020.
One of the true heroines of the 1000 Guineas was Tagalie, successful in 1912 and the only winner to go on and land the Derby. Sceptre, successful in the 1902 1000 Guineas, remains the only winner of four British Classics outright, having also succeeded in the 2000 Guineas, Oaks and St Leger. She also finished fourth in the only other British Classic, the Derby. Hannah captured the 1000 Guineas in 1871 and was one of the most outstanding fillies of her era. She progressed to claim the fillies’ Triple Crown - the 1000 Guineas, the Oaks and St Leger. Another six fillies have also managed this feat –Apology (1874), La Fleche (1892), Pretty Polly (1904), Sun Chariot (1942), Meld (1985) and Oh So Sharp (1085).
A total of 14 winners since 1900 have been trained in Ireland - Rhodora (1908, trained by James Allen), Pourparler (1964 Paddy Prendergast), Glad Rags (1966 Vincent O’Brien), Nocturnal Spree
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