The 2000 Guineas
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The 2000 Guineas, run here over the straight Rowley Mile, is the first of the five historic Classic races to be run in Britain each season. -
The first running took place in 1809 for the prize of 2000 guineas.
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Three-year-olds of both sexes may enter, but not geldings. Fillies very rarely run these days, though seven have won it in the distant past, the most recent being Garden Path in 1944.
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The first race was won by Wizard, owned by Christopher Wilson, trained by Tom Perren and ridden by Bill Clift. The same connections won the first running of the 1000 Guineas with Charlotte in 1814.
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Perhaps the finest race in recent times was in 1971 when Brigadier Gerard beat Mill Reef into second place.
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The 2000 Guineas is the first leg of the traditional Triple Crown - the supreme test for the thoroughbred colt - which includes the Derby at Epsom and the St Leger at Doncaster. The last horse to win the Triple Crown was Nijinsky in 1970.
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A total of 35 horses have completed the 2000 Guineas-Derby double, the most recent being Sea The Stars in 2009, pictured above.
