2000 Guineas

In the 1960s British racing had the chance to own bookmaking. But it's happening the other way round. Bookmakers are moving closer to owning racing. Betfred's headline sponsorship of all five Classics - the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, Derby, Oaks and St Leger - from 2025 is manna to racecourse execs whose job it is to find backers for marquee events. With the Qatar-owned Qipco stepping back from sponsorship of the Guineas meeting and King George at Ascot from next year (they're maintaining their support for Champions Day), the prestige...

Betfred will be the new sponsor of Newmarket's 2,000 Guineas and 1,000 Guineas from 2025 onwards, it was announced on Thursday. The multi-year agreement means the bookmaker will become the first brand to sponsor all five of Britain's Classics--the others being the Betfred Oaks and Betfred Derby at Epsom and Doncaster's Betfred St Leger--at the same time. To mark their sponsorship of the prestigious contests, Betfred have also announced that a £2-million bonus will be on offer to connections of any horse who completes the 'Betfred Triple Crown' by winning...

QIPCO is to relinquish its sponsorship of the British Champions Series, the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, and the King George meeting at Ascot. It will, however, remain involved as the principal backer of British Champions Day and as a partner of Ascot Racecourse to 2026. David Redvers, Qatar Racing's Manager, and the sponsor's representative said, "Their Royal Highnesses Sheikhs Hamad and Fahad Al Thani's earliest involvement in British Racing came with the commitment to helping promote the top-tier of the sport. They remain proud of the success of...

Over the last three years Frankel (GB) and Dubawi (Ire) have handed the sires' championship back and forth between each other, and they rule supreme as the two most expensive stallions in the world this year at £350,000. While Darley's Dubawi duly provided the winner of the first British Classic of the season when Notable Speech (GB) became his fourth in that particular race - an achievement that is unrivalled in the post-war era - it was Frankel's Juddmonte friend and rival Kingman (GB) who had the bragging rights on...

Who are the contenders in this year's GI Kentucky Derby? The TDN Writers' Room crew breaks down the field for the biggest race on the first Saturday in May. The TDN's Emma Berry also joins the show to preview the weekend's 2,000 Guineas.

The phrase "we'll never see his or her like again" is poignant, heartfelt, and often not true. To say the all-time greatest in sport has already been and gone traps us in the past. When Frankel won the 2011 2,000 Guineas with radiant ease I called the sports desk of The Observer from the football match I had been sent to cover and urged them to clear the decks for their Newmarket report. "The 2,000 Guineas isn't meant to be won like that," I told my sports editor. A wonder...

Following Monday's confirmation stage, City Of Troy (Justify) remains the standout name among 14 colts who have stood their ground for Saturday's G1 Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. Unbeaten in three starts as a two-year-old, G1 Dewhurst S. winner City Of Troy is the odds-on favourite to provide trainer Aidan O'Brien with a record-extending 11th success in the first British Classic of the season. O'Brien also has G1 National S. winner Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) still engaged, plus G2 Champions Juvenile S. hero Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and...

Owner Jeff Smith has his eyes fixed on a breakthrough Classic victory and could have his strongest hand yet with Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and See The Fire (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) on course for the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas respectively.  First up for his shot at Classic honours is the Clive Cox-trained Ghostwriter, who was unbeaten during his two-year-old campaign, finishing off by dazzling over the Guineas track and trip when claiming the Royal Lodge S. That kind of profile has Smith excited for when his son...

Twenty-one colts have stood their ground at the latest forfeit stage for the G1 Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Saturday, May 4. They include the outstanding juvenile of 2023, City Of Troy (Justify), last seen winning the G1 Dewhurst S. on the Rowley Mile by three and a half lengths. City Of Troy is one of four entries left in the 2,000 Guineas for Aidan O'Brien, the most successful trainer in the history of the Classic with 10 wins. The potential challenge from Ballydoyle is completed by Diego Velazquez...

NEWMARKET, UK -- Charlie Appleby, who takes aim at a fourth victory in the Bet365 Craven S. on Thursday with Native Approach (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), took advantage of the Rowley Mile early on Wednesday morning to give one of his Derby prospects, Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), a racecourse gallop. The winner of the G3 Zetland S. at the course last October, Arabian Crown, ridden by William Buick, worked over seven furlongs alongside his older stable-mate King Of Conquest (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and James Doyle. "He...

Aidan O'Brien is busy preparing for what could turn out to be one of his boldest ever campaigns at Ballydoyle with plans in place for City Of Troy (Justify) to tackle the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby followed by an audacious tilt at the Travers S. on the dirt at Saratoga later this summer. Meanwhile, dual Derby and Breeders' Cup hero Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact {Jpn}), arguably the most important older horse to have been kept in training at Ballydoyle for many years, is set to get his campaign underway...

Richard Hannon has said there is not one horse that he would swap Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) for and reported the Group 1 winner to be firmly on course for the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 4.  Previously described as "right up there with the best we've ever had" by his handler, Rosallion is a general 8-1 chance for Classic glory at Newmarket.  His big day in the sun last year came when storming to G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere glory and confidence is clearly high in the camp...