2000 Guineas Betting Guide

NEWMARKET, ENGLAND - MAY 3: Johnny Murtagh and Henrythenavigator (L) catch the Kevin Manning ridden New Approach to land The stanjames.com 2000 Guineas Stakes Race run at Newmarket Racecourse on May 3, 2008, in Newmarket, England. (Photo by Julian Herbert/Getty Images)The 2009 Stan James Guineas Festival will see the 201st running of the 2000 Guineas at the Newmarket Racecourse in Suffolk. The race begins at 16:00 on Saturday, 2nd May.

2000 Guineas history goes back to 18 April 1809, when the first race was run at Newmarket. The 2000 Guineas is the oldest of the five British Classic races. It takes its name from the prize offered for the race in the early 1800s. Today, 2000 guineas would be worth roughly £110,000.

The 2000 Guineas is a one-mile, Group 1 flat race for three-year-old thoroughbred colts. Although fillies are officially allowed to enter the race, the last time this occurred was in 1944. The 1000 Guineas for fillies is run the day after. Both of the Guineas races attract the top flat-racing owners, trainers and jockeys – as well as thousands of racing fans – each year, at the outset of the racing season in spring.

For 2008, the total prize for the 2000 Guineas was £350,000. 2008 also celebrated the 200th year of  2,000 Guineas racing at Newmarket Racecourse .

2009 Stan James Guineas Festival winner - Sea The Stars

John Oxx’s Sea The Stars stunned the crowd at the 2000 Guineas race in 2009, as he nudged past crowd favourite Delegator for  1½ length win. For months before the race, Delegator was punted as the possible winner, he fared well though coming in at 2nd place to the delight of fans. Though still relatively inexperienced, Sea The Stars will be heading to the Investec Epsom Derby as a crowd favourite along with Delegator.

2008 Stan James Guineas Festival Highlights

The 2008 Stan James Guineas Festival was held at Newmarket on Saturday and Sunday, 3 and 4 May, with the 2000 Guineas raced on the opening Saturday and the 1000 Guineas raced on the Sunday. Each day of the festival saw a total of seven races, including its feature Guineas race. Check out the full 2000 Guineas results and 2000 Guineas review for 2008.

Johnny Murtagh rode to victory on Henrythenavigator with a time of  1:39.14.  For details on the 2008 Guineas Festival, please visit our results section.

For directions to the Newmarket Racecourse for the 2009 Stan James Guineas Festival, check our 2000 Guineas travel page. Visit the Guineas 2000 tickets page for ticket options.

2000 Guineas Betting

Each year, 2000 Guineas odds are eagerly awaited as thousands of racing fans start considering their bets for this Classic race. The 2000 Guineas is the first Classic race of the season – making betting on form tricky. This means it’s especially important to look to top 2000 Guineas trainers and jockeys, rather than focusing just on favoured horses.

The 2000 Guineas sets the stage for the rest of the season, helping to determine which trainers, jockeys, and horses are the top ones to back. Before placing your bets for 2010, check our 2000 Guineas betting tips and guidelines.