With the end of the jumps season coming at Sandown, horse racing fans turn their attention to flat racing, with the new campaign well underway. The next six months or so will be dominated by the flats and what better way to kick things off than with the 1,000 Guineas.
The Group One race, exclusively for three-year-old horses, is run at Rowley Mile in Newmarket and often features a plethora of previous big race winners all looking to start their season off in style. A win in the 1,000 Guineas can be a catalyst for a solid season and with that in mind, let’s take a look at some previous winners of the race from the last few years.
2021- Mother Earth
Last year’s race certainly came at an interesting time. With the world still trying to get back to normal after the coronavirus pandemic, some races still look place behind closed doors. Consequentially, few were present to see Aidan O’Brien-trained Mother Earth win the most recent 1,000 Guineas. Having gone five races without a win at the end of 2020, Mother Earth was certainly not the favourite on the Betdaq horse racing betting, but with Frankie Dettori aboard, there was always a chance he would claim victory.
2020- Love
Due to the country’s lockdown, the usual end of April slot for the 1,000 Guineas was replaced by a June race. While still behind closed doors it was a relief that the race wasn’t cancelled entirely as Love won for trainer O’Brien. His stable is particularly strong in this race and the trainer is a recurring theme of this list. Love beat 12/1 Cloak Of Spirits and Roger Charlton-trained Quadrilateral to win at Newmarket and went on to win at Ascot in the Group One Prince Of Wales’s Stakes later that year.
2019 – Hermosa
The last edition of the race to be ran as usual, Hermosa was victorious in yet another O’Brien landslide. Having come close in the Fillies’ Mile and Criterium International at Chantilly at the end of the previous season, Hermosa hit the ground running and saw off the likes of Laurens and stablemate Happily to get the run of Ballydoyle wins in motion.
“We are delighted. She did very well over the winter, and she ran an unbelievable race last year in the Fillies’ Mile,” said O’Brien. “She is very uncomplicated. She is tough and, like her sister (Hydrangea), stays well. Wayne gave her a great ride, and it is credit to everyone at home.”
2018 – Billesdon Brook
Even though the flat racing season might not garner the same excitement as the jumps, the unpredictability means an upset is always on the cards. You only have to look at some of last season’s results to see how hard horse racing betting can be. Even Richard Hannon was surprised when 66/1 outsider Billesdon Brook won the 1,000 Guineas in 2018, with jockey Sean Levey earning a first victory in the classic.
“It was a surprise, but there was nothing fluky about it. This is great. I knew she’d win!” Hannon said. “My Guineas winners aren’t terribly popular with the punters as they tend to be big prices.
“All of our Guineas winners have needed their first run – they tend to get beat in their trials. I’m just delighted for everybody at the yard and delighted for Sean.”
