The 2,000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 meters), and it takes place each year in late April or early May.
The 2,000 Guineas Stakes serves as the opening leg of the English Triple Crown, followed by the Derby and the St Leger Stakes. It is also considered as one of Britain's five Classic races, and at present it is the first to be run in the year.
The 2,000 Guineas was first run on April 18, 1809, and it preceded the introduction of a version for fillies only, the 1,000 Guineas, by five years. Both races were established by the Jockey Club under the direction of Sir Charles Bunbury, who had earlier co-founded the Derby at Epsom. The races were named according to their original prize funds (a guinea amounted to 21 shillings, or £1.05).
By the mid-1860s, the 2,000 Guineas was regarded as one of Britain's most prestigious races for three-year-olds. The five leading events for this age group, characterized by increasing distances as the season progressed, began to be known as "Classics". The concept was later adopted in many other countries.
European variations of the 2,000 Guineas include the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the Mehl-Mülhens-Rennen, the Poule d'Essai des Poulains and the Premio Parioli. Elsewhere, variations include the Australian Guineas and the Satsuki Sho.
The 2,000 Guineas is served by trial races such as the Craven Stakes and the Greenham Stakes, but for some horses it is the first race of the season. The 2,000 Guineas itself can act as a trial for the Derby, and the last horse to win both was Camelot in 2012.
Since 2001, the 2,000 Guineas and the 1,000 Guineas have offered equal prize money. Each had a total prize fund of £523,750 in 2019.
Most wins by a jockey - Jem Robinson holds this record at 9 wins when he rode the following horses to the finish line:
Most wins by a trainer - Aidan O'Brien holds this record at 10 wins after he trained the following winning horses:
Most wins by an owner - Sue Magnier is the winningest owner at the 2,000 Guineas with 11 wins. She owned the following winning horses
Fastest winning time - Kameko holds the record for the fastest winning time at the 2,000 Guineas Stakes. He set the record in 2022 at 1m 34.72s
Widest winning margin (since 1900) - Tudor Minstrel set the record for the widest winning margin at 8 lengths in 1947
Longest odds winner - at odds of 66/1, Rockavon set the record for the longest odds winner in 1961
Shortest odds winner - in 1896, at odds of 12/100, St Frusquin holds the record for the shortest odds winner
Most runners - the 2,000 Guineas Stakes had the most runners in 1930 at 28
Fewest runners - twice the 2,000 Guineas Stakes had the fewest at 2. These were during the races in 1829 and 1830
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