2024 Guineas Festival Betting Odds

2023 Guineas Festival Betting Tips

The 2023 Guineas Festival is one of the biggest in the Flat racing calendar, with Newmarket Racecourse hosting a number of prestigious horse races. This includes the first two classic races of the year, with the 2000 Guineas taking place on Saturday 6 May before we get the female equivalent of the race the following day when it comes to the 1000 Guineas.

The 2000 Guineas is shaping up to be a competitive encounter, with this taking place over one mile and Aidan O’Brien has a couple of notable protagonists for this encounter. This includes Auguste Rodin and Little Big Bear, with the two three-year-olds having the potential to run big races and possibly go on to compete in the Epsom Derby later in the season.

The 2000 Guineas takes centre stage on the Saturday of the Guineas Festival, with Chaldean running for trainer Andrew Balding and there is also the prospect of Noble Style defending his unbeaten crown when lining up for Charlie Appleby. Nostrum and Sakheer are other runners trading at similar racing odds and we’re looking forward to seeing the bookmaker prices.

The 1000 Guineas will take place on Sunday 7 May and there are going to be some talented three-year-old fillies lining up. We might see a similar field when it comes to the 2023 Oaks, with Aidan O’Brien having some lively chances in another one mile encounter. Meditate and Statuette go for O’Brien, although Tahiyra is the shortest-priced runner and she goes for Dermot Weld.

The two-day racing feast offers more than just these two major contests though. Any true racing fan should certainly make a pilgrimage to Newmarket at some point and with a full weekend packed with top class racing, the Guineas Festival is the obvious choice.

Read on as we take a look at the two feature races in more detail. We’ll also bring you information on the other key contests taking place alongside the 2000 and 1000 Guineas, pointers on how to pick some winning bets during the meeting and a little history as well.

2000 Guineas

The 2000 Guineas has, as you would expect, been won by some of the greatest horses of all time. First contested back in 1809, this contest is now run over exactly a mile on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile. Named after the original prize offered, the 2000 Guineas has spawned many imitations, including in Ireland, France, Australia and Japan.

The leading jockey in the race, Jem Robinson, did his work almost 200 years ago, winning the 2000 Guineas nine times between 1825 and 1848. In terms of the top trainer we need delve no further back than 2018, when Saxon Warrior gave Aidan O’Brien his ninth 2000 Guineas triumph.

As with all the Classics, this race is only open to horses aged three years of age, so there are no multiple winners. However, the rich history of the 2000 Guineas has been formed by wins from Nijinsky, Brigadier Gerard, Rock Of Gibraltar and, in 2011, the mighty Frankel.

Betting on the 2000 Guineas is a great way to make this wonderful showdown even more exciting and our odds comparison brings you the best betting odds for this race and all the other contests at the meeting.

The 2000 Guineas has been won at horse racing odds as short as 12/100 (all the way back in 1896!) right up to a massive 66/1. The market usually has a pretty good handle on this one though, so focussing your bets towards the top of it is often prudent, as we shall discuss when we look at some betting tips for the meeting in general.

1000 Guineas

The 1000 Guineas was created in 1814, five years after the 2000 Guineas, and is also run on the Rowley Mile. The distance and conditions are the same, as is the very tasty £500,000 prize money (as of 2018), with the exception that this race is for fillies only.

All the trainer, owner and jockey records for this contest date back to the 1800s, whilst another rather more unique record also dates to this time. In 1825 Tontine became the only horse to win a Classic without a jockey! More accurately, as she was left as the only horse in the race, she won by walkover.

When it comes to betting on the 1000 Guineas, things are a little less predictable than the Classic of 24 hours earlier. In 2018 we saw the longest odds winner of the race when Billesdon Brook shocked just about everyone to win at huge racing odds of 66/1. Our odds comparison for the race shows us that winners at double-digit odds are very common in recent years.

This century we have seen 10 winners at odds of 10/1 or more, including victors at odds of 66/1, 25/1 and 20/1, plus two further winning horses at 9/1.

Best of the Rest

Naturally the two Classics dominate media and betting attention but there are lots of other big races to look forward to and bet on at the Guineas Festival too. Here is our pick of best of the supporting cast and, as ever, we’ve got full odds comparison for all of these races to make sure you get the very best racing odds available whoever you fancy.

Saturday Betting Highlights

• Jockey Club Stakes - Group 2, 12f
• Palace House Stakes - Group 3, 5f
• Newmarket Stakes - Listed, 10f

Sunday Betting Highlights

• Dahlia Stakes - Group 3, 9f
• Pretty Polly Stakes - Listed, 10f

Guineas Festival Betting Strategy

When it comes to betting on the Guineas Festival there are various approaches punters can undertake in an attempt to make a profit. The simplest way to obtain value is by getting the best odds and our racing odds comparison makes that a quick and easy process.

Of course, before you get the best odds, you’ll need to know what to back. There are no real overarching strategies that can be applied to all races other than a point or two about the Rowley Mile itself.

Draw bias can change due to the fact that the wide course allows the racing authorities to move the rails quite regularly in order to avoid excessive wear to one part of the track. As such, paying attention to races early on in the meeting may prove fruitful if you are able to spot what you think is a favourable draw.

The other point about the track is that it may be worth favouring horses with a little extra stamina due to the incline towards the finish. This can catch out pure speedballs who may go off too fast and struggle to see the race out.

When it comes to the big two races, as we have seen, in recent years the 2000 Guineas has been a little more predictable than the 1000 Guineas. Course form for all races at Newmarket is worth paying attention to and that is definitely the case for the two Classics. This is largely due to Newmarket’s famous dip and also the uphill stretch that follows to the post.

Following Aidan O’Brien is also worth considering, although the odds of his charges usually reflect his brilliance as a trainer. The Ballydoyle maestro has landed the 1000 Guineas three times since 2012 (as of 2018) and the 2000 Guineas an even more impressive seven times since 2005. With that sort of strike rate, you can be sure that a bet on something O’Brien sends to post might well beat the odds.

Festival History

One can’t really say when the Guineas Festival was truly born but, as said, the two key races that bring it all together date back to the start of the 19th century. Amazingly racing in this area, under royal patronage, dates back to the mid-17th century but the 2000 Guineas was first run in 1809 with the 1000 following in 1814.

These were created following the success of the Epsom Derby and along with that, the Epsom Oaks and oldest of the lot, the St Leger, these five races form the British Classics. These five had coalesced by the late 1800s and the weekend of the two Guineas contests really is a huge feature on the flat racing calendar.

In theory the races are the first leg of the Colts and Fillies Triple Crowns respectively, but virtually no horses even attempt to land this, alongside the Derby/Oaks and St Leger these days. Since 2001 the two Guineas contests have offered equal prize money and with £500,000 and immeasurable prestige up for grabs it is no wonder the Guineas Festival continues to grow as a betting and racing extravaganza.