The QIPCO 2000 Guineas, which was founded in 1809 and has a glittering roll of honour, celebrates its 215 th running in 2023. It is the first race in the 2023 QIPCO British Champions Series and has a prize fund of £500,000. Along with the QIPCO 1000 Guineas, also over Newmarket’s Rowley Mile, the 2000 Guineas is one of the five English Classics, all restricted to three-year-olds - the others being the Betfred Derby and Betfred Oaks, both over a mile and a half at Epsom Downs in early June, and the extended 14-furlong St Leger, which takes place at Doncaster in September. Sir Charles Bunbury, who played an important role in the development of British racing, including overseeing the extension of The Jockey Club’s authority, was inspired to introduce the two youngest Classics - the 2000 Guineas for colts and fillies and the 1000 Guineas for fillies only. The name derived quite literally from the initial prize fund for the race – 2,000 Guineas was in effect a guaranteed sweepstake, irrespective of the number of subscribers. The inaugural running was won by Wizard, who gained £1,522 for his connections, in the silks of Yorkshire sportsman Christopher Wilson. Bill Clift steered Wizard to that success and, five years later, completed a famous double for the same owner when partnering Charlotte to take the first running of the 1000 Guineas. Both were trained by Tom Perren.
The largest field was in 1930 when there were 28 runners in the race won by Diolite, while 27 ran in 2000, 1964, 1951 and 1933. In both 1829 and 1830 there were just two competitors, with both winners - Patron and Augustus - owned by Lord Exeter and trained by Charles Marson. The maximum field allowed for safety reasons is currently 25.
Since 1900, the biggest winning distance was recorded in 1947 by Tudor Minstrel, who scored by eight lengths. In the current century, Frankel has been the easiest winner when scoring by six lengths in 2011. During the same period, the Classic has been won by a short-head 13 times - Neil Gow (1910), Kennymore (1914), Adam’s Apple (1927), Pay Up (1936), Kingsway (1943), Nimbus (1949), Palestine (1950), Only For Life (1963), Kashmir II (1966), Royal Palace (1967), Mister Baileys (1994) Mark Of Esteem (1996) and Poetic Flare (2021).
Henrythenavigator in 2008 was the first British Classic winner to score by a nose – the new minimum winning distance introduced by the BHA less than three months earlier.
The longest-priced winner was 1961 hero Rockavon, who was returned at 66-1. Not nearly so generous were the odds of 12-100 laid on St Frusquin in 1896 - the shortest-priced winner in the race’s history. In the 214 runnings to date, a total of 84 favourites or joint-favourites have obliged in the 2000 Guineas – meaning 39% of winners have headed the betting market. Frankel is the shortest priced winner since World War II, having been returned the 1-2 Favourite in 2011.
Irish-trained horses have won 20 renewals since 1900. The first was 1960 winner Martial, trained by Paddy Prendergast, and he has been followed by Sir Ivor (1968 Vincent O’Brien), Nijinsky (1970 Vincent O’Brien), Nebbiolo (1977 Kevin Prendergast), Lomond (1983 Vincent O’Brien), El Gran Senor (1984 Vincent O’Brien), King Of Kings (1998 Aidan O’Brien), Rock Of Gibraltar (2002 Aidan O’Brien), Refuse To Bend (2003 Dermot Weld), Footstepsinthesand (2005 Aidan
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