2000 Guineas Preview

Each year the 2000 Guineas is a race to savour and one which will shape not only the European 3yo season but also can impact on Horse Of The Year titles and future breeding implications around the world.

The Guineas at Newmarket is like many of the iconic global racing events. The Prix De L'arc De Triomphe, Japan Cup, Kentucky Derby, Epsom Derby and of course our very own Melbourne Cup all are steeped in history and have a character all of their own. So does this race.

Up the Rowley Mile in the East Midlands at Newmarket in Suffolk England, it will once again be the centre of racing attention in the UK this weekend. The race was first run in 1809 with the fillies equivalent, the 1000 Guineas, debuting five years later.

It remains one of the five “Classics” of the British turf alongside that 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, together with the Epsom Oaks and Epsom Derby at Epsom Downs and also the St Leger at Doncaster much later in the season.

You have to be a darn good three year old to handle the steep incline over the final two furlongs. Some of the famous recent winners of this race include the great Nijinsky in 1970, Nashwan who did the same Guineas/Derby double in 1989 and Henrythenavigator who held off a fast finishing prospective Derby winner in 2008.

One of best was Zafonic. Owned and bred by Khalid Abdullah and trained by Andrew Fabre, the colt bolted in with the 1993 Guineas under Pat Eddery.

Even in a top field, he went off a short priced favourite and came from last, up the middle of the track under a throttle hold. Sadly he would die in a paddock accident in Australia before his stud career had much of a chance to kick off.

Many will know Rock of Gibraltar (2002) was part owned by then Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The son of Danehill had a great streak of seven consecutive G1 wins (part of a world record at the time) and there was tremendous press for the racing industry at the time. But an ownership dispute somewhat tarnished the partnership as he would venture onto a stud career which includes Australia and he has so far down here produced Rock Kingdom to win an Epsom Hcp.

In 2009 we saw the birth of a legend when Sea The Stars had one of the greatest 3yo seasons ever starting six times for six wins, all at G1, kicking off with the Guineas followed by the Derby, Eclipse, Juddmonte, Irish Champion and finally the Prix De L'arc De Triomphe in a sensational performance.

Within the last forty years some of the most influential trainers in history have scored in the race. Vincent O’Brien, Henry Cecil, Sir Michael Stoute, Saeed bin Suroor, Dermot Weld and of course Aiden O’Brien who has six on the mantelpiece.

Similarly with the jockeys, the names of Piggott, Carson, Swinburn, Eddery, Dettori, Smullen, Fallon, Murtagh and Melbourne Cup winning jockey Mick Kinane, who made it four wins in the race when winning on Sea The Stars, all adorn the honour roll.

You can often tell how good a race is by the vanquished and horses like New Approach (Derby winner and multiple G1 hero), Raven’s Pass (Breeders Cup Classic), Duke of Marmalade (won five G1 races as a 4yo), Eagle Mountain (Hong Kong Cup winner), Sir Percy (Epsom Derby) and Hawk Wing (won a Lockinge and Eclipse and was unlucky to run into Rock of Gibraltar in Guineas and High Chaparral in Derby) were all in behind some heroes of the Guineas.

In 2011 we saw an amazing race and a charismatic performance as Frankel stretched his rivals almost to breaking point. He was well over ten lengths in front by half way and many thought Tom Queally had gone too soon.

But the Galileo colt just kept going and in the end, while he got tired, six lengths was his victory. That was the time we knew he was ‘good’. Relive that Frankel masterpiece.

Two somewhat unfulfilled stars, by comparison, in Camelot and Dawn Approach won the subsequent editions.

The 2014 edition is shaping as a strong one with the two key trials this season, the Greenham and the Craven, going the way of above-average winners in Kingman and Toormore and last season’s Dewhurst and Racing Post Trophy winners, War Command and Kingston Hill, set to take their chance.

Further to that quartet is a most interesting wildcard in the Aidan O’Brien-trained Australia.

He may not have achieved as much on the racecourse as those previously mentioned but his trainer has made very clear the regard in which he holds the well-bred colt and what he has done on the track so far has done little to dent that reputation.

It is true that O’Brien has incentive to “big up” his horses, and his comments are to be taken on board with a fair degree of caution, but it would be folly to ignore them entirely, especially given the fact that he has so many grand horses, tested under at the very least similar conditions, with which to compare his latest charge.

That said, Kingman was most impressive in the Greenham, his performance standing up strongly against thorough analysis, and he certainly deserves his place at the head of the market.

On what we have seen Toormore lacks the brilliance of Kingman but he has done all that has been asked of him to this point and his Craven win showed that the Rowley Mile, which can bring a few undone, poses no concern to him.

Despite wins in the Coventry and Dewhurst War Command seems to have been handed the role of “forgotten horse”.

The Coventry win probably flattered him given the way the race was run and the Dewhurst was hardly a vintage one but his profile demands respect.

Kingston Hill’s Racing Post Trophy (see below) certainly doesn’t come with the vintage tag attached either, the runner-up Johann Strauss doing the form no favours in a pair of plain efforts already this season, but he was dominant on the day and his win prior had already pointed to him being a horse with plenty of talent.

There is plenty of suggestion about that Kingston Hill is a better hope in the Derby than the Guineas and it’s not hard to agree with that assessment given both his profile and the way he has gone about it to this point.

With a strong top-end to this year’s Guineas those out of the market are left making less appeal than they may in other years.

Charm Spirit looked good on return and can certainly run well for France, as can the Spanish entrant Noozhoh Canarias.

There was little between that pair at Longchamp on Arc Day and they both must hold some hope at Newmarket, though, and on-song Kingman would be expected to have little trouble keeping them at bay.

Enjoy this classic test in a classic race.