2000 Guineas Betting Tips

Usually run on the first Saturday in May, the 2000 Guineas is the opening Classic race of the flat season. For three-year-olds only, it represents the first of five races for the generation that will define the season ahead.

It is run over one mile at Newmarket, flat racing’s headquarters in Great Britain, and has been since way back in 1809. In its 200-year history, the race has been graced by many a star of the flat scene, with names such as Sceptre, Brigadier Gerard, Dancing Brave and Frankel all writing their names onto the roll call.

In 2025, another promising crop of three-year-olds will take to the stage on the Rowley Mile on the opening Saturday in May. Here’s how our tipsters see the race.

Qipco 2000 Guineas Favourites Runners & Form

The 2000 Guineas will not be run until the following flat season. The juvenile crop in 2024 is developing quickly, so any 2025 2000 Guineas tips will be identified when some more form has played out.

2000 Guineas Racecourse 

The 2000 Guineas is run every year at Newmarket. The Suffolk course has two different tracks, with the Rowley Mile used for this and the 1000 Guineas. In terms of qualification, the race is open to three-year-olds only, though for the 2000 Guineas both colts and fillies can take part.

It is a completely straight track, which can be used at up to two furlongs longer than the 1m distance of the Guineas races. Because of this, there is always the possibility of substantial draw and pace biases, with Newmarket as susceptible to these as any other course in the UK.

In terms of the draw, this is not always consistent: the far side rail could be of benefit to runners one day, only for the stands side to be preferable the day after. As such, it can pay to save your bets on the 2000 Guineas until closer to the off, when that day’s bias (if any) has become more apparent.

If there is a tailwind, it is very preferable to be on the front end of the pace, with it being very difficult to peg back front-runners. Look for those who have raced prominently in the past to come to the fore.

Betting Strategies for the 2000 Guineas

The 2000 Guineas lends itself to many different types of bets, just as many other horse races do. The following can all be placed on the race depending on who takes your fancy.

Each Way

Every renewal of the 2000 Guineas in the last decade has seen a double-figure field go to post, ensuring that at least three places have been available for each-way punters. The 2023 edition saw a 125/1 shot finish second, with a 150/1 outsider in fourth with some firms paying out to that place with 14 runners in the field. Finding an outsider can be done with the luck of the draw on your side.

Non Runner No Bet

The runners for the 2000 Guineas are entered well in advance. Just like with races at the Cheltenham Festival, you can place your bets on a Non Runner No Bet basis well in advance, ensuring that it is risk free if your horse does not make it to the race in the first place.

Forecast Betting

When there is a short-priced favourite involved in the race then a more novel way of making a higher profit is to back the forecast (first two finishers in the race). This can be done on straight terms, i.e. picking the first two finishers in the exact, correct order, or placed as a reverse forecast, where the top two you fancy can finish first and second in either order.

Without the Favourite

Another market which is often popular in the presence of an odds-on shot is the “without the favourite” betting. This takes out any strong favourite from the contest, often making the betting far more open, and means you could potentially win big even if your fancy is only second past the post to the favourite. Similarly, if the favourite underperforms, you win as with any other bet if your horse comes home first.

Are There Any Specific 2000 Guineas Betting Offers?

The 2000 Guineas does not draw advanced bookmaker offers in the same way that the Cheltenham Festival or Grand National do. However, there will be greater build-up towards the race in the days prior, so bookies will definitely come out with some offers for it, whether that be odds boosts, extra places or free bets.

2000 Guineas Trends & Historic Data

As mentioned in the racecourse section, the trend regarding draw bias is not always consistent, as every year the Rowley Mile’s best track position changes. However, in the last three years, the stalls from which the winner has emerged have been 4, 1 and 3, so perhaps a low draw is beginning to be favoured more often.

When it comes to the price of the winner, no favourite has been successful since 2017. Four of the six winners since have started at 11/2 or shorter though, so it is still rare for a 2000 Guineas winner not to have been found in the market.

Aidan O’Brien has still broadly been the man to follow in the race, with four winners in the last decade. However, again, that success has dried up somewhat, with no winner since Magna Grecia in 2019.

2000 Guineas Last 10 Winners

Year	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Odds
2015	Gleneagles	Aidan O’Brien	Ryan Moore	4/1F
2016	Galileo Gold	Hugo Palmer	Frankie Dettori	14/1
2017	Churchill	Aidan O’Brien	Ryan Moore	6/4F
2018	Saxon Warrior	Aidan O’Brien	Donnacha O’Brien	3/1
2019	Magna Grecia	Aidan O’Brien	Donnacha O’Brien	11/2
2020	Kameko	Andrew Balding	Oisin Murphy	10/1
2021	Poetic Flare	Jim Bolger	Kevin Manning	16/1
2022	Coroebus	Charlie Appleby	James Doyle	5/1
2023	Chaldean	Andrew Balding	Frankie Dettori	7/2
2024	Notable Speech	Charlie Appleby	William Buick	16/1