It doesn’t feel very much like spring currently but hope springs eternal for the latest young crop of equine hopefuls. The first British Classics of 2024 take place at Newmarket this weekend, the 2000 Guineas on Saturday and the 1000 Guineas on Sunday. Some past legends of the turf have been victorious in the opening Classics of the season, including Nijinsky, Dancing Brave & Oh So Sharp. Will we witness some more outstanding horse racing feats at HQ this weekend?
Troy famously stormed to a 7-length triumph in the 1979 Derby for the trainer/jockey combination of Dick Hern & Willie Carson. Unlike Troy, who was 6/1 to land the spoils that day at Epsom, Aidan O’Brien’s unbeaten colt, City Of Troy, is the warm favourite to win this year’s 2000 Guineas. Sunday’s 1000 Guineas appears to be a more open contest on paper. Another Aidan O’Brien runner, Ylang Ylang, is currently vying for top spot on the bookies’ boards with Karl Burke’s Fallen Angel and Charlie Appleby’s Dance Sequence in the fillies’ fiesta.
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Saddle Stars Of Guineas’ Past
Frankie Dettori memorably helped guide Chaldean to 2000 Guineas triumph last year, during his ‘final’ year riding in Britain. It was the Italian star’s fourth 2000 Guineas’ success and came 27 years after his first (Mark of Esteem in 1996). His father, Gianfranco Dettori, also rode back-to-back winners in the first Classic of the year, in 1975 and 1976, for Henry Cecil. Frankie Dettori would also claim four victories in the fillies’ equivalent, winning the 1000 Guineas aboard Cape Verdi (1998), Kazzia (2002), Blue Bunting (2011) and Mother Earth (2021).
Kieran Fallon & Lester Piggott would go one better than the flying dismounting Italian, both landing the 2000 Guineas on five occasions. Astonishingly, 35 years separated Lester Piggott’s first win (Crepello in 1957) and his last (Rodrigo de Triano in 1992). Whilst Piggott only rode two 1000 Guineas winners, Kieran Fallon would claim the honours in the prestigious fillies’ one-miler on four occasions, so nine Guineas’ triumphs in total for the Irish sensation.
However, none of the modern-era saddle stars’ achievements would come close to James (Jem) Robinson’s Guineas record. The Newmarket-based jockey ruled the roost in the early to mid-19th century. Not only does he top the all-time 2000 Guineas winning list with nine successes between 1825-1848, but he also rode five 1000 Guineas winners and had 24 British Classics triumphs in total.
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Aidan O’Brien Transforms The Guineas Scene
There have been some tremendous training feats in the Guineas in the modern era. Vincent O’Brien secured 2000 Guineas honours on four occasions with the likes of Sir Ivor and Nijinsky. Henry Cecil’s nine Guineas’ winners (three 2000 Guineas and six 1000 Guineas) spanned a five-decade period, starting with Bolkonski in 1975 and finishing with the fantastic Frankel in 2011. Sir Michael Stoute trained seven Guineas’ victors (five 2000 Gs and two 1000 Gs).
Aidan O’Brien and the Ballydoyle brigade’s arrival on the flat racing scene in the mid-1990s would sensationally transform the Guineas and Classics landscape. He would claim his first of a stunning 17 English Guineas successes with King of Kings in the 1998 edition of the 2000 Guineas. 25 years later and he’s still going strong. The sunglassed-supremo has clinched the Newmarket Guineas double in the same year on four occasions (2005, 2012, 2017 & 2019).
Nijinsky Dances And Prances Into History
Fifteen colts have claimed the holy grail that is the British Triple Crown. Winning the 2000 Guineas (Newmarket), the Derby (Epsom) and the St Leger (Doncaster). The last of those and one of the famous racehorses in history, was Nijinsky in 1970. The colt had a white heart on his forehead and he would remain in the hearts of racegoers for years to come. He was trained out of the Ballydoyle stables that were first established by Vincent O’Brien.
Nijinsky headed to Newmarket in 1970 on the back of a 6-race unbeaten run and the 4/7 shot would cruise to 2000 Guineas glory under a hands-and-heels ride by Lester Piggott. The son of Northern Dancer would then head to Epsom for the Derby, where he faced stiffer opposition. Lester Piggott had to give Nijinsky a little encouragement on this occasion, but he would still ease to a 2.5-length victory.
Following further victories in the Irish Derby and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Ascot (and over a bout of ringworm), he would head to Doncaster for the St Leger. Vincent O’Brien’s star dominated proceedings again, wrapping up the Triple Crown in style. Since 1970, four colts have won both the 2000 Guineas and the Epsom Derby, but none have won the St Leger too, to complete the set.
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Three And Easy For Oh So Sharp
No other colt may have repeated Nijinsky’s Triple Crown heroics since, but Henry Cecil’s Oh So Sharp did famously claim all three fillies’ Classics in the mid-1980s. She won all three of her 2-year-old races during 1984 and in the latter two of those, Lester Piggott was in the saddle. He was said to comment that he believed her to be the best filly he had ridden since Petite Etoile (the winner of the 1000 Guineas and Oaks in 1959).
American jockey, Steve Cauthen, took over the reins on Oh So Sharp for her Classics year in 1985. Following a dispute between Lester Piggott and Daniel Wildenstein, Cauthen became Henry Cecil’s stable jockey. The filly would show her liking for Newmarket, by winning the Nell Gwyn Stakes in mid-April, before winning the 1000 Guineas there two weeks later. Despite a concern over the firm going, Oh So Sharp would produce a storming late run to win by a whisker. It was Sheikh Mohammed’s first win in a British Classic.
As Sharp As Ever In The Oaks
If Oh So Sharp’s victory in the 1000 Guineas was a tight one, her Oaks success was anything but. Cauthen moved her to the front two furlongs out and she readily went clear, winning by 6 lengths. Her unbeaten streak did come to an end during the summer though. Cecil’s filly finished second in two races on the bounce, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Ascot & the International Stakes at York.
Oh So Sharp had run well in both contests though and her reputation hadn’t been harmed. She would start the St Leger at Doncaster as a warm 8/11 favourite. Despite hanging right at the business end of proceedings, the star filly would hold on to clinch the Triple Crown. Henry Cecil was a very relieved man, as he thought she was beginning to show signs of running out of steam for the year.
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The Class Of 2024 – Who’s In The Guineas’ Reckoning?
City Of Troy looks set to go off the odds-on favourite for the 2000 Guineas. Aidan O’Brien, who hasn’t had a 2000 Guineas’ winner since racking up three victories on the spin with Churchill (2017), Saxon Warrior (2018) and Magna Grecia (2019), is aiming to clinch an 11th win in the colts opening Classic. City Of Troy, one of four unbeaten horses in the line-up, hasn’t been seen on the racecourse since his impressive win in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last October. That was his third win last year as a 2-year-old and he had already won at HQ previously when landing the Superlative Stakes dominantly last summer.
Clive Cox’s Ghostwriter is another unbeaten colt who hasn’t been seen out since last year. He won three races as a 2-year-old like City Of Troy, with two of those wins coming at Newmarket too. He would beat Aidan O’Brien’s fancied Capulet when winning the Royal Lodge Stakes last September, which is raced over the same distance as the 2000 Guineas.
Godolphin’s representative, Notable Speech, is another unbeaten runner with three wins under his belt. However, Charlie Appleby’s 3-year-old is making his turf debut in the Guineas, as all his previous victories came earlier in 2024 on the All-Weather at Kempton. Richard Hannon’s Rosallion is the closest rival to City of Troy according to the bookmaking brigade. The son of Blue Point returned to winning ways in the Grand Criterium at Longchamp at the back end of last year, recording a stunning time of 1:18.23 in the process.
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The Fancied Fillies For The 1000 Guineas Crown
Unlike the Colts Classic, the 1000 Guineas on Sunday appears to be a more open contest on paper. Ballydoyle’s Ylang Ylang is one of two course & distance winners in the line-up, the other being the Gosden’s Regal Jubilee, who at big odds, could make some each-way appeal for some. Ylang Ylang had a busy 2-year-old schedule, racing five times, with the last two of those runs coming at Newmarket. Both those final two runs were eye-catching efforts. She finished 3rd in the Rockfel Stakes but recovered well after a terrible start. The daughter of Frankel would finish 2023 with a ½ length victory in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile at HQ in October.
Karl Burke’s Fallen Angel is another of the bookies’ fancied runners. She won three of her four starts as a 2-year-old (was placed second in the other), including a cosy victory in the Sweet Solera Stakes at Newmarket last summer. She concluded her 2023 campaign with an impressive performance in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh. A race that was previously won by 1000 Guineas winners Love and Minding in the last 10 years.
Godolphin’s Dance Sequence is another near the top of the market. Unlike rivals, Ylang Ylang and Fallen Angel, the Charlie Appleby runner has been in action in 2024. She would lose her unbeaten tag when failing to get up in the Nell Gwyn at Newmarket two weeks ago. Richard Fahey’s Pretty Crystal pipped her that day and goes again in the Guineas. She’s another at bigger odds who could catch the eye of each-way punters.
The 1000 & 2000 Guineas Stats That Matter
The last five 2000 Guineas winners all had previous runs at Newmarket before the season’s opening Classic. That would count against some of City of Troy’s leading market rivals, Rosallion, Notable Speech and Night Raider. All three are making their debuts at Newmarket this weekend. The three previous 2000 Guineas winners came out of stall numbers 3, 1 & 4. That again could be a plus for City Of Troy, who is drawn 2. The only two course & distance winners in the field, Ghostwriter and Haatem, are drawn 3 and 5. That could enhance both of their each-way claims.
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Will The 1000 Guineas Throw Up Another Shock Win?
Unlike the 2000 Guineas, favourites haven’t fared so well in the opening fillies Classic. Minding in 2016 was the last jolly to justify the tag. We’ve had 9/1 (twice), 10/1, 14/1, 16/1 and 66/1 winners within just the last 7 years. Like the 2000 Guineas though, previous Newmarket runs seem to be of benefit. The last six winners of the 1000 Guineas had all raced at HQ before their bid for Classics glory. It’s a factor that could count against several, including the French hope, Ramatuelle and Godolphin’s second-string, Cinderella’s Dream.
Recent 1000 Guineas’ winners had all previously raced over a mile before lining up for the big event. That again could be a negative for several, including a few of the leading market runners, Fallen Angel, Dance Sequence and Pretty Crystal. Race experience also seems to be a plus point. See The Fire and Rolica may be lacking on that front, with just 3 runs and 2 runs respectively.
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ITV will be screening 4 races live from Newmarket on Saturday from 13:45, including the 2000 Guineas at 15:35. ITV4 will be screening another 4 races live from Newmarket on Sunday from 13:50, including the 1000 Guineas from 15:40. Racing TV will be covering every race live from Newmarket all weekend.
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