The Early Favorites For The 2000 Guineas

The upcoming Grand National Festival at Aintree pretty much marks the end of the National Hunt racing season. From there, attention will turn to the Flat campaign and the first dates you’ll need for your calendar are May 1^st and 2^nd, as that marks the Newmarket Guineas Festival.

The historic Rowley Mile will host two days of world-class Flat racing, with the 2000 Guineas featuring on day one before the 1000 Guineas headlines day two. The two races are the first Classics of the season, and in this article, we are going to zone in on the 2000 Guineas.

So, with just one month to go until the Newmarket meeting, there is no better time than now to evaluate the chances of those leading the way in the betting market. Read on to find out more!

Battleground – 4/1

If you go to today’s racing results and make your way back through last year’s Flat season, you’ll notice that Battleground made an impressive start to his racing career under the guidance of trainer Aidan O’Brien. The three-year-old won the listed Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot last June before nabbing the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood in July and given those victories it’s no surprise that jockey Ryan Moore and Battleground are tipped to triumph again in the 2000 Guineas.

St Mark’s Basilica – 6/1

Battleground’s main contender in the one-mile race could be his very own stablemate St Mark’s Basilica. The O’Brien-trained horse spent most of last season at the Curragh, where he raced four times between July and September, winning once in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. However, he made his debut in England at Newmarket in October, landing a victory as a 10/1 shot in the Group 1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes with Frankie Dettori in the saddle. If the Italian jockey is to ride him in the 2000 Guineas, he will certainly be well backed by the punters.

Thunder Moon – 7/1

Thunder Moon, trained by Aidan’s son Joseph, is next in line at 7/1. The three-year-old hasn’t been as well raced thus far in his career as the aforementioned horses. However, he won his first two races, both of which came at the Curragh, and that was enough to ensure that he entered the Darley Dewhurst Stakes as the 11/4 favourite. But he ended up in third, just two-and-a-half lengths behind St Mark’s Basilica. It’ll take something special from Thunder Moon and regular jockey Declan McDonogh if they are to get the better of the favourites.

Wembley – 8/1

Back to Aidan O’Brien-trained horses now, and Wembley is the fourth favourite in the 2000 Guineas market at 8/1. The Irish trainer will probably be a little disappointed with Wembley’s first season. The three-year-old was the heavy favourite at Curragh, Galway and Roscommon last summer. However, his only victory came at the latter in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. He was then second to Thunder Moon in one of his previously mentioned victory at Curragh before finishing just three quarters of a length behind St Mark’s Basilica at Newmarket in October. We certainly wouldn’t back on him winning, but he could be worth an each-way punt.