Watch the Guineas this weekend and enjoy the action from the first two Classics of the British Flat racing season.

The big story for this year’s 2,000 Guineas is Billy Loughnane bidding for his first Classics win on Bow Echo, while the 1,000 Guineas belongs to the fillies and the Aidan O’Brien-trained Precise is looking to be an early favourite.

At a glance

• 2,000 Guineas date: 2 May 2026
• 1,000 Guineas date: 3 May 2026
• Watch the Guineas on TV: ITV (FREE), Racing TV
• Watch the Guineas from anywhere: Use this NordVPN deal – 75% Off

How to watch the Guineas on TV

ITV will screen much of the action from the Betfred Guineas Festival (including the two feature races) live and for free on ITV1 and ITVX, while Racing TV (Sky channel 424/Virgin Media 536) will broadcast via its subscription-based service.

You don’t need an ITVX subscription to watch live racing – just an email address and a valid TV license. You can register for a free account or download the app to your mobile device.

If you’re away from home, you can use NordVPN to secure your stream of the action from anywhere in the world.

What time is the 2,000 Guineas?

The 2,000 Guineas post time is 3.35pm and is the fifth of nine races at Newmarket on Saturday 2 May.

What time is the 1,000 Guineas?

The 1,000 Guineas starts at 3.35pm and is the fourth of seven races at Newmarket on Sunday 3 May.

How to watch the Guineas from anywhere

If you’re away from home and your normal coverage is geo-blocked, a VPN will get you your usual coverage from anywhere in the world.

There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. We’d suggest using a paid-for service such as NordVPN, where you can get an exclusive 75% off, which offers a 100% risk-free money back guarantee. If you’re not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.

What are the Guineas?

As the first two Classics of the British Flat racing season, the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas are among the most famous horse races in the world.

Run over a mile at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile racecourse, the 2,000 Guineas is contested by colts and fillies and the 1,000 Guineas solely by fillies. The two races are limited to three-year-old Thoroughbreds only.

The 2,000 Guineas was first run in 1809, while the inaugural 1,000 Guineas was staged five years later. At the time the races were named after the prize money given to the winner of each – with one guinea amounting to 21 shillings or £1.05.

By the 1860s the Guineas were considered to be two of the most significant races in the UK for three-year-olds and today attract the very best horses of their age in Europe. Often the races highlight potential contenders and winners of the third and fourth Classics of each year, the Derby and Oaks staged at Epsom Downs.

The total prize money for each race is more than £500,000, with the winner of the 2,000 Guineas taking home £297,728, while the winner of the 1,000 Guineas takes home £311,025. The 2,000 Guineas is also the first leg of the Triple Crown, followed by Epsom Derby and St Leger.

• To stay up to date with all the breaking news at major events throughout the year, subscribe to the Horse & Hound website

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The incredible sight of Frankel stretching away from his rivals in the 2,000 Guineas back in 2011 is the stuff of racing legend. Now we can look forward to watching some of this year’s best three-year-olds go head-to-head at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile racecourse tomorrow (Saturday 30 April) as they battle for the first Classic title of the Flat season. Here’s the full list of runners and riders who will be lining up in this historic Group One race to help you choose your 2000 Guineas bets. Who is your pick to win?

Pick your 2000 Guineas bets

Horse: Native Trail | Jockey: William Buick

Trainer: Charlie Appleby

Coroebus | Jockey: James Doyle

Charlie Appleby

Luxembourg |Jockey: Ryan Moore

Aidan O’Brien

Perfect Power | Jockey: Christophe Soumillon

Richard Fahey

Point Lonsdale | Jockey: Frankie Dettori

Aidan O’Brien

Checkandchallenge | Jockey: Daniel Tudhope

William Knight

Dubai Legend | Jockey: Tom Marquand

Hugo Palmer

Eydon | Jockey: David Egan

Roger Varian

Light Infantry | Jockey: Jamie Spencer

David Simcock

Royal Patronage | Jockey: Jason Hart

Charlie & Mark Johnston

Boundless Ocean | Jockey: Kevin Manning

Jim Bolger

Lusail | Jockey: Pat Dobbs

Richard Hannon

Berkshire Shadow | Jockey: Jason Watson

Andrew Balding

Tacarib Bay | Jockey: Sean Levey

Andrew Balding

The Wizard Of Eye | Jockey: J F Egan

J S Moore

How can I watch the 2000 Guineas?

ITV Racing will be showing the 2,000 Guineas live on the main ITV channel when the race gets underway at 3.40pm.

What is the prize money for winning?

The winner of the 2022 2,000 Guineas will take home £283,550.

Recent 2000 Guineas winners

2011: Frankel ridden by Tom Queally, trained by Henry Cecil and owned by Khalid Abdullah

2012: Camelot, ridden by Joseph O’Brien, trained by Aidan O’Brien and owned by Smith/Magnier/Tabor

2013: Dawn Approach, ridden by Kevin Manning, trained by Jim Bolger and owned by Godolphin

2014: Night of Thunder, ridden by Kieren Fallon, trained by Richard Hannon Jr. and owned by Saeed Manana

2015: Gleneagles, ridden by Ryan Moore, trained by Aidan O’Brien and owned by Smith/Magnier/Tabor

2016: Galileo Gold, ridden by Frankie Dettori, trained by Hugo Palmer and owned by Al Shaqab Racing

2017: Churchill, ridden by Ryan Moore, trained by Aidan O’Brien and owned by Smith/Magnier/Tabor

2018: Saxon Warrior, ridden by Donnacha O’Brien, trained by Aidan O’Brien and owned by Smith/Magnier/Tabor

2019: Magna Grecia, ridden by Donnacha O’Brien, trained by Aidan O’Brien and owned by Smith/Magnier/Tabor

2020: Kameko, ridden by Oisin Murphy, trained by Andrew Balding and owned by Qatar Racing

2021: Poetic Flare, ridden by Kevin Manning, trained by Jim Bolger and owned by Jackie Bolger

Continued below…

A beginner’s guide to betting

If you fancy having a flutter on a horse race but don’t know where to start, we’re here to help.

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Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Newmarket is known as the racing world’s “headquarters” and the two Newmarket racecourses play host to a large number of meetings throughout the year, including two of the five British Classics (1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas). The Rowley Mile Course hosts the spring and autumn racing, while its neighbour, The July Course holds the summer meetings.

Finding a hotel near the Newmarket racecourses will certainly help you make the most of your visit to the historic town. Due to the popularity of the venue, accommodation is often booked up well in advance – particularly for the Classics – so if you find something suitable available, we suggest you don’t hang around.

We’ve included a great selection of accommodation by type – not just hotels near Newmarket Racecourse, but guest houses, B&Bs and holiday lets too, so you can easily find what you’re looking for. Distances are calculated to The Rowley Mile (CB8 0TF) and The July Course (CB8 0XE).

• Hotels near the Newmarket racecourses
• Holiday lets and apartments in Newmarket

Hotels near Newmarket’s racecourses

The Jockey Club Rooms, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.4 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.4 miles | Type: Hotel | Trip Advisor rating: 5/5 |

View at hotels.com or booking.com

Kings Hotel, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.5 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.4 miles | Type: Hotel | Trip Advisor rating: 3½/5 |

View at hotels.com or booking.com

White Hart, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.7 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.7 miles | Type: Hotel | Trip Advisor rating: 3½/5 |

View at hotels.com or booking.com

Best Western Heath Court Hotel, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.8 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.7 miles | Type: Hotel | Trip Advisor rating: 4/5 |

View at hotels.com or booking.com

Premier Inn Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.8 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.7 miles | Type: Hotel | Trip Advisor rating: 4/5 |

View at premierinn.com

Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa, Burwell

Distance to Rowley Mile: 2.7 miles | Distance to July Course: 3.6 miles | Type: Hotel | Trip Advisor rating: 4½/5 |

View at hotels.com or booking.com

The Wheatsheaf Inn, Exning

Distance to Rowley Mile: 3.5 miles | Distance to July Course: 4.5 miles | Type: Hotel | Trip Advisor rating: 3½/5 |

View at booking.com

The Courtyard, Dullingham

Distance to Rowley Mile: 4.6 miles | Distance to July Course: 3.6 miles | Type: B&B | Trip Advisor rating: 5/5 |

View at booking.com

The Meadow House, Burwell

Distance to Rowley Mile: 5.5 miles | Distance to July Course: 7.8 miles | Type: Guest house | Trip Advisor rating: 3/5 |

View at booking.com

Travelodge Barton Mills

Distance to Rowley Mile: 10.2 miles | Distance to July Course: 11.2 miles | Type: Hotel | Trip Advisor rating: 4/5 |

View at travelodge.co.uk

Holiday lets and apartments in Newmarket

Luxury Flat, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.3 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.3 miles | Type: 2-bed apartment | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Eclipse House, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.5 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.4 miles | Type: 4-bed holiday let | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

High Street Apartments, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.5 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.5 miles | Type: 1-bed apartment | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Mill House Townhouse, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.6 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.7 miles | Type: 6-bed holiday let | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

High Street Flat, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.7 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.7 miles | Type: 1-bed apartment | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Old Station Road Studio, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.8 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.7 miles | Type: 1-bed apartment | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Stratford Apartment, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.8 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.7 miles | Type: 1-bed apartment | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Malt House, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 1.9 miles | Distance to July Course: 2.9 miles | Type: 2-bed holiday let | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Amberleigh House Annexe, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 2 miles | Distance to July Course: 3 miles | Type: 1-bed apartment | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Exning Residence, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 2 miles | Distance to July Course: 3.1 miles | Type: Guest house | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Eclipse Ground Floor Apartment, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 2 miles | Distance to July Course: 3.1 miles | Type: 1-bed apartment | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Eclipse First Floor Apartment, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 2 miles | Distance to July Course: 3.1 miles | Type: 1-bed apartment | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Guineas House, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 2.1 miles | Distance to July Course: 3.2 miles | Type: 4-bed holiday let | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Exning Road Home, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 2.3 miles | Distance to July Course: 3.4 miles | Type: 3-bed holiday let | Trip Advisor rating: Not yet rated |

View at booking.com

Boutique Apartments, Newmarket

Distance to Rowley Mile: 2.4 miles | Distance to July Course: 3.3 miles | Type: 2- and 3-bed apartments | Trip Advisor rating: 5/5 |

View at booking.com

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Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round

Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Two jockeys with a combined age of 104 win the 1000 and 2000 Guineas, and it’s a 20th Classic for Frankie Dettori

THE domestic Flat season may not quite have burst into life at the weekend in the shape of a superstar Guineas winner but, on Sunday, Newmarket’s Rowley Mile, empty except for a handful of owners, at least echoed to the whoops of a victorious Frankie Dettori.

In what was a theme of the weekend, both in Britain and America, there was no substitute for experience; Dettori, 50, won the 1000 Guineas a day after Kevin Manning, 54, took the 2000 Guineas on Poetic Flare for Jim Bolger, who will be 80 on Christmas Day, while the Kentucky Derby was won by Johnny Velazquez, 49, on Medina Spirit.

The oldest jockey to have won a Classic is Lester Piggott, who was 56 when he won the 2000 Guineas on Rodrigo De Triano in 1992.

Victory for Mother Earth, a Zoffany filly and Aidan O’Brien’s de facto second string in the race behind the once-raced Santa Barbara, was pretty smooth.

Dettori held her up, sent her on from the top of the hill, and came home a cosy length ahead of Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Saffron Beach and Richard Fahey’s gritty Fev Rover. The inexperienced Santa Barbara was fourth with the joint-favourite Alcohol Free not far away in fifth.

“I was super-excited to win that!” said Dettori (stating the obvious). “I didn’t have the pressure to ride the favourite and had a very willing partner who I knew would give me everything.

“Aidan gave me a lot of confidence this morning and said to forget about Santa Barbara and just ride my own race. He told me to get cover and I did; I forgot about the favourite and just kicked at the top of the hill.

“I knew she’d stay really well and I won – it’s as simple as that! It’s my 20th Classic [in Britain] at 50. I’m only 10 behind Lester now so I’ve got plenty of time!

“It’s great to do it at Newmarket. I’m extremely happy and I got lucky to get that ride. Lester was 56 so I’ve got six years left and Kevin won yesterday which makes me feel young – come on the oldies!”

Aidan O’Brien has now won five of the last six Guineas – a run broken only by Richard Hannon and Billesdon Brook.

“Mother Earth is a very good filly and always was,” he said. “It was unfair to the favourite [Santa Barbara] to come but we had to come with the view to coming back over here for the Oaks.

“Santa Barbara is only a baby. She was just green in the dip, but after having one easy run it was a great run.

“Mother Earth is a very consistent filly – she had a great run in America last time out last year and that was very professional. Mother Earth will stick to a mile and we’ll step Santa Barbara up in trip – the latter was always going to go to the Oaks next time and this filly was always going to go to the Irish Guineas next. That was the plan.

“We won’t go again with Santa Barbara before Epsom. We felt that she would learn as much coming here as she would for three runs, but it was a risk doing it that she was going to get beaten.”

A RENAISSANCE FOR BOLGER

WHILE some trainers have spells when they are out of form for weeks, months or even seasons, O’Brien’s period in the doldrums lasted a day. His three runners in the 2000 Guineas finished down the field and if this year’s Classic was memorable for Ballydoyle it was for the fact that it was the first time since 2000 the stable did not have a placed runner.

Three horses had begun to draw clear hitting the rising ground – Poetic Flare, Charlie Appleby’s Master Of The Seas and Jessica Harrington’s Lucky Vega. Through most of the last half furlong Master Of The Seas seemed to have a narrow advantage, but Poetic Flare came back at him and it was on the nod, a short-head in the Irish colt’s favour with Lucky Vega a neck back in third.

The impression was that there was not much between them, and had you run the race another day they might have finished in a different order. At the moment it would appear that an average pool of two-year-olds has not suddenly thrown up an outstanding three-year-old.

Nevertheless, a Classic is a Classic no matter how narrow the margin of victory and that in no way diminished the achievement of the remarkable Bolger and his son-in-law Manning.

A lot of people are in nursing homes at Bolger’s age but, having had a relatively quiet couple of years since Poetic Flare’s sire, Dawn Approach (by his Derby winner New Approach) won the race in 2013, he is having a renaissance – back home he still has to unleash Mac Swiney, the Vertem Futurity winner.

“I thought he was beaten! It’s a big day for us, right up there with the best we’ve had,” said Bolger. “Poetic Flare wasn’t ready for the Dewhurst last year. I thought he was a little bit fitter than he was and I was hoping he’d run a big race and get the experience of running at that level. He ran out of wind about a furlong and a half down but we were very pleased in the run and didn’t lose faith in him.”

Asked if he might now run in the Irish 2000 Guineas, Bolger added: “I’m not sure – there’s nothing between him and Mac Swiney so it’s going to be a very hard call.

“At the moment I’m not thinking about going anywhere except the mile. He has buckets of speed and I even entered him in the Commonwealth Cup in the unlikely event that he

didn’t stay, as he’s that quick and you always have some doubts about whether the very quick ones will stay or not. The St James’s Palace would definitely be on the cards.

“It’s a wonderful day. In our case it’s fairly necessary with the way I do things! It very much carries on that Dawn Approach line, and I have two half-sisters of Poetic Flare as well.”

This report can also be read in this week’s Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 6 May

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An overdue visit to the home of racing for Horse & Hound's features editor has her hooked on a town where horses come first...

How has it taken 28 horse-mad years of my life to go to the home of racing? I blame growing up in Somerset — which feels like the other end of the earth from Newmarket.

From a muggle’s perspective (by muggle I mean unhorsey), there’s not a huge amount to write home about. For high-street highlights we’re talking Peacocks and Greggs the bakers — New Look is probably the closest to haute couture you’ll get in this corner of Suffolk. This is no bustling Cheltenham or quaint Burghley. But anyone who scoffs is missing the point.

Litter bins adorned with horses

A 75th anniversary celebration of the Animal Health Trust (AHT) yesterday (28 March), seemed like a very good reason to make my debut visit.

As the train approached Newmarket station, the swathes of white fencing for the gallops came into sight.

Walking into town I noticed the litter bins adorned with pictures of horses and punters strolled in and out of shops in breeches and boots.

And suddenly it dawned on me. I had arrived in some sort of equestrian nirvana. This is no normal provincial town.

Mistime your morning commute here, and you find yourself stuck in traffic waiting for the strings of horses coming off the gallops to cross the road and make their way onto the specially designated pavements and back to their yards, which are interspersed down side streets on seemingly residential roads.

And you could be waiting a long time — there are at least 3,000 horses in training with over 80 trainers.

But being stuck in a taxi trying to get to the AHT’s centre on the outskirts of the town was no great hardship, with a driver who could reel off stats about eye-watering stud fees and prolific sires with the ease that your regular cabby talks about football scores.

Talking to a local journalist as we marked the astounding achievements that the AHT has made in veterinary science during its long history, she regaled a time when she was standing behind the late Sir Henry Cecil in Newmarket Waitrose to see him buying only smoked salmon and champagne. Jilly Cooper couldn’t write it any better.

A museum that doesn’t make you yawn…

Trying to get your (equestrian) bearings in this town and pinpointing the ‘sights’ can be overwhelming.

Newmarket Heath extends to over 2,500 acres, with 50 miles of turf gallops and canters and there are two racecourses (The July Course and The Rowley Mile), Tattersalls, the National Stud and copious yards of varying degrees of glamour (and security) to navigate.

Which is where the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art (pictured above) comes into play. Built in the remains of Charles II’s palace and racing stables and opened by The Queen in November last year, it should be compulsory for Newmarket first-timers and racing buffs alike.

You can immerse yourself in the best of sporting art (think Stubbs and Munnings), get to grips with the genetic code of the thoroughbred and understand how Newmarket developed as a hub for racing. Revel in the sports’ heroes (both equine and human) and shed a tear watching some emotional replays — The Queen’s face lighting up to see Estimate storm to victory in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot is a highlight.

Once my brain was saturated with the legendary runners and riders that make up Newmarket’s past and present, I made a beeline to the Tack Room next door for dinner with a friend — a restaurant named after its original use.

Delicious food, yes. But all the better for the décor — saddles hang from the walls, jockey silks replace paintings and you can watch horses munching on their hay in the Rothschild Yard outside, which is the flagship home for Retraining of Racehorses.

Pulling out of the station (one platform, no loo, no shop, no ticket office…) and hurtling back towards London, it was like waking from some sort of horsey dream. In the world away from Newmarket, shop assistants no longer know who Frankel is and taxi drivers can’t tip you a winner for the Guineas Festival in May…

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Like many, I thought the 2000 Guineas was an unsatisfactory event in that the field split.

Inevitably, when that happens, the groups tend to race each other, rather than all runners and riders concentrating on their own race and what is immediately going on around them.

Having said that, Night Of Thunder was a worthy winner and I was delighted for my friend and neighbour Richard Hannon. Winning a Classic at your first attempt is some achievement, but I am sure there will be more before long.

Miss France looked as though there was more to come when winning the 1000 guineas. She was just doing enough at the line and, with master trainer Andre Fabre in charge, she will be tough to beat wherever she shows up.

If you exclude the St Leger “winner” Encke — who tested positive for steroids four months later — there hasn’t been a Newmarket-trained Classic winner since 2011 St Leger victor Masked Marvel.

Impressive Pretty Polly Stakes winner Taghrooda looks to have a very good chance of changing that in this year’s Oaks.

The future of the sport?

The big industry announcement last week was the news that Chelmsford City (formerly Great Leighs) and Newcastle have been invited to apply for fixtures in 2015.

Both tracks will be all-weather, as Newcastle has plans to rip up its — perfectly good — turf track and put down a Tapeta surface.

It seems unlikely that they will be given new fixtures because we are at saturation point — 25% of Flat races in 2013 had fewer than eight runners.

Each-way betting becomes negligible on those races, which in turn forces lower betting turnover, and has a downward effect on the levy that funds prize-money.

So where will the fixtures come from?

Newcastle — like a dozen other tracks — is owned by ARC [Arena Racing Company], that closed Folkestone and Hereford in 2012. So it is safe to assume it has every intention of further streamlining.

I believe ARC will close Bath, whose grandstand was condemned and demolished last winter, and whose race programme has suffered significant downgrading in the past five years.

As a result of a conversation I had with the CEO of ARC a few years ago, I have no doubt that the Flat track at Chepstow is doomed as well.

And if there had to be more, I would guess that Yarmouth and Southwell’s all-weather — not least because it is prone to flooding — would be in the mix.

Furthermore, because the fixtures are owned by the group the track belongs to, jump fixtures can be switched to Flat too. It would never happen, would it?

In each of the past 3 years, 33% of all National Hunt races have had fewer than 8runners. That is an extremely unhealthy state of affairs, given that there is nothing to stop ARC and others switching fixtures between their tracks, Flat to jumps and vice versa.

The tragedy would be that by losing Flat tracks such as Chepstow and Bath, we are losing the grass roots of the sport.

If we are not careful, racing could easily go the way of the USA, where it has been downgraded to a sport where no one goes, unless to bet, and the only time they get a crowd is at the big festival meetings.

Lastly, I fear for jump racing, not least because it is drifting away from its core period. Summer jumping now has bigger fields and crowds than many of the mid-winter jumps fixtures.

This year, 10,000 fewer people went to Newbury’s big Saturday February fixture than 10 years ago.

Furthermore, Wetherby, which used to be the best jumps-only track in the north, has announced it is experimenting with a Flat fixture next year.

This is because it is worried about the future of National Hunt racing, due to the public perception that injuries go hand in hand with the sport.

Just 10 days after Sheikh Mohammed’s racing operation Godolphin was plunged into crisis after 11 horses trained for him by Mahmood al Zarooni tested positive for anabolic steroids, his Dawn Approach won the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Trained in Ireland by Jim Bolger — for whom this was a first success in the race and who also trained the colt’s sire New Approach — the powerful, white-faced chestnut was an impressive five-length winner of the first Classic of the season. After six unbeaten starts as a two-year-old, this was his first race of the 2013 campaign.

The 11-8 favourite sailed along in the slip-stream of his pacemaker Leitir Mor, who set a strong pace, before moving easily to the front alongside the second favourite, Toronado. But the Richard Hannon-trained Toronado looked to struggle in the final furlong and a half and Dawn Approach drew away comfortably.

Jockey Kevin Manning said: “He’s a very special horse. He travelled very well and when I asked him to quicken, he’s picked up and gone.”

Dawn Approach is now favourite for the Investec Derby at Epsom in a month’s time.

Second was the Kevin Ryan-trained Glory Awaits, a son of the sprinter Choisir, at a massive 150-1 under Jamie Spencer.

Van Der Neer (William Buick) was third, ahead of his Hannon stable-mate Toronado in fourth.

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

The hot favourite Camelot took the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket today from two French-trained horses, French Fifteen and Hermival.

Camelot, owned by the Irish-based Coolmore operation which stood his sire Montjeu at stud until his recently untimely death at the age of 16, only beat French Fifteen by a neck.

But the Aidan O’Brien-trained bay’s pedigree and looks – he is a big, handsome, rangy colt – suggest he will be better over further than the mile of the 2000 Guineas, and Camelot is now 5-4 favourite to win the Derby at Epsom in a month’s time. The 2000 Guineas was his first run since his Group One Racing Post Trophy victory last autumn.

The 18-runner Guineas field split into three groups after leaving the stalls. Camelot was held up in mid-field in the stands-side bunch and when the front-runners started to struggle up the hill on the soft ground, Camelot swooped.

The 15-8 favourite passed the Nicolas Clement-trained French Fifteen in sight of the post and won by a neck. They were two lengths ahead of Hermival, trained by Mikael Delzangles, who won the 2000 Guineas two years ago with Makfi.

The first British-trained horse home was Trumpet Major, fourth for Richard Hannon and jockey Richard Hughes.

It was a sixth 2000 Guineas winner for trainer Aidan O’Brien and a first for his son Joseph, 18, who rode Camelot.

O’Brien snr said: “It’s one of those unbelievable days. We knew from the statistics that Camelot had a lot against him, we knew he had a lot to overcome but we always thought he was very special.

“You would imagine looking at him that the Derby would be a very suitable race for him.”

Joseph O’Brien said: “I didn’t get the best run through, I was a long way back, but he was very relaxed and will be much better going a bit further.”

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Frankel put up an astonishing performance to win the QIPCO 2000 Guineas at Newmarket today. The Henry Cecil-trained colt went to the front as soon as he broke from the stalls and stayed there, making all the running to take the first Classic of the season by six lengths.

Frankel drew further and further ahead of the other 12 Guineas runners – he was at least a dozen lengths in front at one stage – and just idled a touch when unchallenged in the final furlong, allowing Dubawi Gold, trained by Richard Hannon, to fight into second six lengths behind him at 33-1. It was one of the most brilliant performances ever seen in a Classic race.

Third by half a length was the Ed Dunlop-trained Native Khan, winner of the Craven Stakes here earlier in the month. It was a further 11 lengths back to the 200-1 shot Slim Shadey in fourth.

It gave Henry Cecil a 25th British Classic triumph. His first was Bolkonski in the 2000 Guineas in 1975. Frankel’s jockey, 26-year-old Tom Queally, was having his first ride in the race.

“He did it better than I ever thought he would,” said Queally. “The one thing that this horse can definitely do is gallop, and why take him back and prevent him from galloping? We’ll let him do what he enjoys doing but, by God, he showed them.”

Frankel, a son of Galileo out of the Danehill mare Kind, is owned and bred by Khalid Abdulla, who also won the 2000 Guineas with Known Fact, Dancing Brave and Zafonic. His latest Classic winner – his 11th in Britain – was named after the great American trainer Bobby Frankel, who trained the Saudi prince’s horse in the United States and who died of leukemia in November 2009.

After remaining unbeaten in his five previous races, including last year’s Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, Frankel started odds-on at 1-2. Connections have stated that they will see how he comes out of the race before deciding on a next aim – he is entered in the Dante Stakes at York, traditionally the most significant Derby trial. The dramatic speed and acceleration he showed today may mean that the extra half-mile of the Derby is beyond him, in which case the St James’s Palace Stakes over a mile at Royal Ascot would be the natural target.

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Makfi ran out a shock 33-1 winner of the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket today, becoming the first French-trained horse to win the first Classic of the Flat season for 15 years.

Makfi, who was British bred by Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum but sold unraced at last year’s Tattersalls Horses-In-Training sale, had won both his starts before the Guineas for trainer Mikel Delzangles. He is by young Darley sire Dubawi.

“He won the French trial for the Guineas, the Prix Djebel, and I was hoping to run very well,” said Delzanges. “He’s a very quiet, cool horse but he can quicken.”

Makfi was ridden by Christophe Lemaire, who won the 1000 Guineas two years ago on Natagora.

The red-hot favourite, St Nicholas Abbey, disappointed in sixth, his trainer Aidan O’Brien saying he didn’t like the ground and was unsuited by the slow early pace. O’Brien’s other runners, Fencing Master and Viscount Nelson, finished seventh and 11th.

Richard Hannon trained the second and third home, Greenham Stakes winner Dick Turpin and Canford Cliffs.

Tomorrow’s 1000 Guineas could also go to France — the favourite is Special Duty, trained by Criquette Head-Maarek.

Don’t miss H&H’s full report on all the action from the first Classic meeting of the 2010 Flat racing season, on sale Thursday 6 May

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Seven men were arrested and two people injured on Saturday (2 May) following a brawl during the Guineas Festival at Newmarket racecourse.

The men were arrested after a fight broke out between two groups of racegoers in a marquee.

A female police officer and a racecourse security guard were injured.

The security guard hurt his hand during the incident and the officer twisted her knee after the brawl.

A spokesman for Suffolk Police said: “The officer’s injury occurred as she was carrying out inquiries following the affray, she twisted her knee and is receiving treatment. The injury was not as a result of an assault.”

The seven men were all between the ages of 17-30. Five came from Coventry, one from London and one from Essex. They have all been released on police bail, two to return to Bury Police Station on 19 June and five on 13 June.

Last week Newmarket racecourse signed up to the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme — to make the town and racecourse safer on racedays.

The scheme allows the racecourse, EventGuard security and City and Suburban Parking to be granted selected powers by the chief constable to help police and manage the racemeeting.

Inspector Kim Warner, who was one of the officers in charge of policing the Guineas Festival, said: “The relationship between police and accredited staff this weekend was positive with good communication at every level.

“Police were well supported by both accredited and non-accredited staff during a disturbance on Saturday, helping to secure evidence and make arrests at an early stage. We will continue to work with all race course employees to encourage them to report any potential problems at future events.”

City and Suburban Parking Ltd received accreditation for traffic management and EventGuard was granted the power to take details for traffic offences and anti-social behaviour. They can also seize alcohol and tobacco from those underage.

Managing director of Newmarket Racecourses Stephen Wallis said: “Achieving this accreditation demonstrates the racecourse’s commitment to running safe events and to working within the spirit of an extended police family.”

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Sea The Stars became the first Classic winner of the new Flat season, taking the Stan James 2000 Guineas at Newmarket impressively.

Trained in Ireland by John Oxx and ridden by veteran jockey Mick Kinane, the handsome bay Sea The Stars finished 11/2 lengths ahead of Brian Meehan’s Delegator, the 3-1 favourite. Third was Gan Amhras, trained by Jim Bolger, and Aidan O’Brien’s Rip Van Winkle was fourth.

Owned and bred by the Tsui family, Sea The Stars, who started at 8-1 for the mile Classic, is by Cape Cross out of the superb mare Urban Sea, who won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe before producing 10 foals, eight of which have won black-type races. They include champion sire and Derby winner Galileo. Sadly, she died earlier this year giving birth to an Invincible Spirit foal at the Irish National Stud.

John Oxx, for whom this was only a second Newmarket Guineas runner in a distinguished 30-year career, said: “He’s travelled wonderfully well throughout the race. You could see from a long way out that he was going to make it count.

“He quickened well into the Dip for a relatively inexperienced horse — the rising ground suited him and he really got home well.”

It was Mick Kinane’s fourth 2000 Guineas winner, after Tirol in 1990, Entrepeneur in 1997, and King Of Kings in 1998.

Sea The Stars’ next race will be the Derby next month, for which he was quickly made favourite.

Don’t miss H&H’s full report on the Guineas meeting, on sale next Thursday

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Henrythenavigator overturned hot favourite New Approach in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket last Saturday (3 May).

In a hard-fought finish the Aiden O’Brien trained Henrythenavigator beat the 11-4 favourite New Approach by a nose, which was decided by a photofinish.

Jim Bolger’s New Approach made all the running but 11-1 shot Henrythenavigator stormed from the back of the pack under a commanding ride from Johnny Murtagh.

It was a fifth 2,000 Guineas win for Irish trainer Aiden O’Brien and a third for Coolmore’s new retained jockey Johnny Murtagh.

Stubbs Art ridden by last season’s joint champion jockey Seb Sanders finished third.

Henrythenavigator might be now looking to tackle the Irish 2,000 Guineas.

In the 1,000 Guineas on Sunday (4 May) the 11-4 favourite Natagora held off tough competition from Spacious in a close finish, winning by half a length.

Trained in France by Pascal Bary, Natagora became the 15th French-trained winner of the race. She also provided Pascal Bary with a long awaited first British win of his career.

Meanwhile her victory marked a fifth Newmarket Group One race win for jockey Christophe Lemaire.

In third was Saoirse Abu ridden by Kevin Manning and trained by Jim Bolger.

Plans for the filly’s future are yet to be decided — Natagora is currently entered in the French Guineas, Irish Guineas, the Coronation Stakes, the French Oaks and the French Derby.

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The Stan James 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket was won by 25-1 outsider Cockney Rebel.

The Geoff Huffer-trained colt beat Vital Equine (33-1) into second place by one and a half lengths. Dutch Art (14-1) finished third ahead of Duke of Marmalade.

Vital Equine had a significant lead with a quarter of a mile to run, but Olivier Peslier timed his run on Cockney Rebel perfectly on the wide outside to be first past the post.

Don’t miss H&H’s full report on all the action from Newmarket in next week’s magazine (10 May, ’07)

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Fans of the 2,000 Guineas 2-1 favourite Teofilo will be disappointed to hear that he will not be in action at Newmarket on Saturday. Last season’s champion two-year-old is suffering from some soreness at the back of his knee on his off-fore. The colt by Galileo is trained in Ireland by Jim Bolger.

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