Tuesday, 6 May 2025

The 2,000 Guineas Stakes.


Newmarket Racecourse

3rd May 2025

The 2,000 Guineas Stakers is one of what are termed the Five British Horseracing Classics; the other four being The 1,000 Guineas, The Oaks, The Derby and The St. Leger.  The race takes place at Newmarket, run over the Rowley Mile course which an L-shaped track i.e. not a loop like most courses.  The race is restricted to three-year-old colts and fillies.

I missed the first race, as I had chosen to spend an hour or so poking about nearby St. Neots, and by the time of the main event of the day £40 of my play-money had almost magically disappeared due to Purosangue (7th), Hand of God (9th) and No Half Measures (also 9th) all failing to perform as I had expected.  

In a desperate attempt to recoup some of my losses with my final tenner, in the 2,000 Guineas race I decided to do one of those Reverse Forecast things - i.e. picking the horses who would finish in the first two positions.  15/8 favourite Field of Gold was an obvious choice for one of the two top spots, but who else?  Ruling Court at 9/2 and Expanded at 5/1 were the other favoured horses.  I chose the latter, for no other reason than I had heard of the trainer Aiden O'Brien.

And with a grim inevitability, I watched Ruling Court and Field of Gold finish first and second respectively, leaving me trot towards the exit with empty pockets once more.        


The car park was a large unmarked field, and boy was I glad I had a red car.
Relatively easy to find amongst a sea of white and silver ones.



Some folks had no difficulty finding their transport at the end of the day.


The oddly-named Purosangue from Race Two.


The finish of Race Two, won by Tom Marquand on More Thunder.




Race Three and Ryan Moore doesn't know it, but he has my tenner on his back.

 



All ready for the 2,000 Guineas...


...and won by Ruling Court, ridden by William Buick.

  
The winning team.

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