2,000 Guineas Stakes

Turf race infobox
class = Group 1
horse race = 2,000 Guineas Stakes


caption = "The Finish of the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket"
by Samuel Henry Alken (1810-1894)
location = Newmarket Racecourse
Newmarket, England
inaugurated = 1809
race type = Thoroughbred - Flat race
sponsor = Stan James UK Ltd
website = [http://www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk/spring/11764860984804.html Newmarket Racecourses]
distance = 1 mile (1,609 metres)
track = Turf, straight
qualification = Three-year-olds
excluding geldings
weight = 9 st 0 lb
Allowances
5 lb for fillies
purse = £375,000 "(2008)"
bonuses =The 2,000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in the United Kingdom open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) on the Rowley Mile course at Newmarket Racecourse, and it takes place annually in late April or early May.

It was first run on April 18, 1809, preceding the introduction of the equivalent race for fillies only, the 1,000 Guineas, by five years. The Jockey Club launched both races under the direction of Sir Charles Bunbury, who had earlier co-founded the Epsom Derby. The races were named according to their original prize funds (one guinea amounted to 21 shillings, or £1.05). Since 2001 both races have offered equal prize money, with each totalling £375,000 in 2008.

The 2,000 Guineas is presently the first of five British races to be run during the year which are designated as "classics". These races are all restricted to three-year-olds, and those which are open to both colts and fillies – the 2,000 Guineas, the Derby and the St. Leger Stakes – comprise the Triple Crown. Fifteen horses have won all three races, most recently Nijinsky in 1970.

The format of the 2,000 Guineas has been adopted by many racing authorities around the world, giving rise to such races as the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen and the Premio Parioli.

Trial races include the Craven Stakes and the Greenham Stakes in mid April, but many horses start the 2,000 Guineas without a run since the previous autumn. In recent years fillies have been absent from the race – the most recent to win was Garden Path in 1944.

On May 3, 2008, Newmarket Racecourse celebrated the 200th running of the 2,000 Guineas.

Records

Leading jockey (9 wins):
* Jem Robinson – "Enamel (1825), Cadland (1828), Riddlesworth (1831), Clearwell (1833), Glencoe (1834), Ibrahim (1835), Bay Middleton (1836), Conyngham (1847), Flatcatcher (1848)"----Leading trainer (7 wins):
* John Scott – "Meteor (1842), Cotherstone (1843), Nunnykirk (1849), West Australian (1853), Fazzoletto (1856), The Wizard (1860), The Marquis (1862)"----Leading owner (6 wins): "(includes shared ownership)"
* Sue Magnier – "Entrepreneur (1997), King of Kings (1998), Rock of Gibraltar (2002), Footstepsinthesand (2005), George Washington (2006), Henrythenavigator (2008)"----Leading owner (5 wins): "(outright ownership only)"
* 4th Duke of Grafton – "Pindarrie (1820), Reginald (1821), Pastille (1822), Dervise (1826), Turcoman (1827)"
* 5th Earl of Jersey – "Riddlesworth (1831), Glencoe (1834), Ibrahim (1835), Bay Middleton (1836), Achmet (1837)"----
* Fastest winning time – Mister Baileys (1994), 1m 35.08s
* Widest winning margin "(since 1900)" – Tudor Minstrel (1947), 8 lengths
* Longest odds winner – Rockavon (1961), 66/1
* Shortest odds winner – St. Frusquin (1896), 12/100
* Most runners – 28, in 1930
* Fewest runners – 2, in 1829 and 1830

Winners

note label|1980|1|1 Nureyev finished first in 1980 but was relegated to last place following a Stewards' Inquiry.

References

* [http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?search_bar=stakes&query_type=stakes&field=view&id=35 PedigreeQuery.com]
* [http://www.galopp-sieger.de/galoppsieger/sieger?rennkz=E2&backlink=1 Galopp-Sieger.de]
* Racing Post:
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=90468&r_date=1988-4-30 1988] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=94699&r_date=1989-5-6 1989] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=99092&r_date=1990-5-5 1990] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=103895&r_date=1991-5-4 1991] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=108662&r_date=1992-5-2 1992] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=113660&r_date=1993-5-1 1993] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=118728&r_date=1994-4-30 1994] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=124169&r_date=1995-5-6 1995] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=200528&r_date=1996-5-4 1996] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=234849&r_date=1997-5-3 1997]
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=248501&r_date=1998-5-2 1998] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=263151&r_date=1999-5-1 1999] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=277262&r_date=2000-5-6 2000] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=297565&r_date=2001-5-5 2001] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=312340&r_date=2002-5-4 2002] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=328491&r_date=2003-5-3 2003] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=345919&r_date=2004-5-1 2004] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=378064&r_date=2005-4-30 2005] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=401434&r_date=2006-5-6 2006] , [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=425847&r_date=2007-5-5 2007]
** [http://www.racingpost.co.uk/horses/result.sd?&race_id=450433&r_date=2008-5-3 2008]
* [http://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewRaces?id=1 horseracinghistory.co.uk]
* [http://www.tbheritage.com/TurfHallmarks/racecharts/twokg.html tbheritage.com]

ee also

* Horseracing in Great Britain
* List of British flat horse races