Steve Ryder previews Saturday's 2000 Guineas, including declared runners, previous race trends, and his race prediction.
The 2000 Guineas is the first of five classics and is a Group 1 run over the Rowley Mile. This year it is run on Saturday 2nd May at 3:35 and there are currently 20 entries.
2000 Guineas Winners, Trends & Stats
This race has been won by top class milers such as Frankel, Dawn Approach and Gleneagles but it is also a race that has been used as a trial for the Derby with both Camelot and Sea The Stars winning both classics and Australia, Auguste Rodin and City Of Troy winning the Derby despite having been beaten in this race.
• 12 of the previous 12 winners were rated 109 or higher
• 9 of the previous 12 winners won on their previous start
• 9 of the previous 12 winners had already won a Group race
• 7 of the previous 12 winners had at least 1 previous run over a mile
• 7 of the previous 12 winners were making their reappearance
2000 Guineas Declared Runners & Guide
As of Thursday 30th April, the 15 declared runners for the 2000 Guineas are:
Bow Echo
Distant Storm
Gstaad
Kings Trail
Oxagon
Avicenna
Needle Match
Thesecretadversary
Alparslan
Into The Sky
Padraig Dawn
Power Blue
Venetian Prince
Billecart
Lord Britain
BOW ECHO
Exciting unbeaten colt who ended last season with a victory over this course and distance in the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes. Trainer George Boughey has been bullish about his chances and he has been to the track for a racecourse gallop at the Craven meeting.
DISTANT STORM
An impressive 4 ¾ length winner of the Group 3 Tattersalls Stakes at this track in September who ran well to finish 3rd in the Dewhurst Stakes at the end of the season. Charlie Appleby has elected to keep him fresh for this target and he appears the number 1 for the stable who have won this for three of the past four years.
GSTAAD
Beat a better fancied stablemate True Love on his debut before winning the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. He finished 2nd on his next three starts at Group 1 level including when narrowly beaten in the Dewhurst Stakes before winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on his first start over a mile. Supplemented back into this race at a cost of £30,000.
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KING’S TRAIL
Unbeaten Charlie Appleby trained colt who has won both of his career starts on the AW. An impressive debut winner in December, he won comfortably under a penalty at Kempton a month ago and has a similar profile to 2024 winner Notable Speech.
OXAGON
Highly tried after winning a Sandown novice race by eight lengths when finishing behind the likes of Puerto Rico, Gstaad and Distant Storm at group level. Improved for the application of first-time cheekpieces on his reappearance when winning the Craven Stakes by two lengths.
AVICENNA
Godolphin colt who won his two starts last season for Roger Varian before not getting the clearest of runs when 2nd behind Oxagon in the Craven Stakes on his reappearance.
ALPARSLAN
Lost his unbeaten record when 6th in the Dewhurst Stakes last season when behind Gstaad, Distant Storm and Oxagon. Defied odds of 9/1 to win the Greenham Stakes on his reappearance when Needle Match was back in fourth.
Who is favourite to win the 2000 Guineas?
As of Thursday morning (30th April), Bow Echo is the 7/2 favourite for the 2000 Guineas. Following him at the top of the betting are Distant Storm (4/1) and Gstaad (9/2).
2000 Guineas Trainers & Jockeys to Watch
Aidan O’Brien holds the record for the most wins in the 2000 Guineas with ten victories including eight in the previous twenty renewals but Charlie Appleby has won the race three of the previous four years.
Ryan Moore won the race twice in recent years for Aidan O’Brien in 2015 and 2017 but William Buick has won it for the past two seasons.
Betting Insights & Tips for the 2000 Guineas
This looks an open renewal of the race and despite Aidan O’Brien not training the winner since 2019, GSTAAD (best priced at 9/2) sets the standard with an official rating of 119. The son of Starspangledbanner beat True Love on his debut before winning the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in impressive style by three lengths.
Gstaad was runner-up at Group 1 level on his next three starts but looked unlucky when beaten less than a length in the Dewhurst Stakes at this track. He overcame a troubled passage when winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and it was notable that connections have supplemented him back into the race at a cost of £30,000.
Recommended Bet: GSTAAD 8/1 (1pt)
Tipped earlier in the week ante-post at 8/1.
Oddschecker Insights: Gstaad has been the most popular ante-post bet on Oddschecker this week, picking up 37% of the total bet share.
