Saturday sees the running of the 2000 Guineas, the first British classic of 2025.
Leading contenders for the Newmarket classic appear to be impressive Gr3 bet365 Craven Stakes winner Field Of Gold (Kingman), Gr1 Criterium International winner Twain (Wootton Bassett), Gr1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes runner-up Expanded (Wootton Bassett), dual Gr1 winner Shadow Of Light (Lope De Vega), and Gr1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes victor Scorthy Champ (Mehmas).
Superstar Frankel – won the 2000 Guineas in 2011 (Pic – Candiese Lenferna)
First run in 1809, the 2000 Guineas has been won by a number of colts who went on to prove themselves outstanding stallions, including Stockwell, Tetratema, Gainsborough, Djebel, Court Martial, Sir Ivor, and Nijinsky II.
Subsequent top stallions to have been beaten in their respective Guineas include Mill Reef, Roberto, and Rainbow Quest, to name but three.
Since the turn of the century, the 2000 Guineas has served up a mix bag in terms of producing high-class stallions.
In 2000, King’s Best, who went on to become Champion Sire in France in 2010, thrashed the subsequent breed-shaping sire Giant’s Causeway to win the 2000 Guineas by three and a half lengths.
The 2001 Guineas winner Golan proved a disappointing stallion, but the following year, the Newmarket classic went the way of Rock Of Gibraltar.
The latter, whom many believed lucky to beat Hawk Wing in the 2000 Guineas, went on to sire more than 140 stakes winners and is broodmare sire of this season’s World Sports Betting Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas/Gr1 TAB Empress Club Stakes winner Fatal Flaw (New Predator).
After a few years when the race was captured by some subsequently moderate stallions, the 2000 Guineas once again unleashed a top-class stallion when it was won by Sea The Stars.
A half-brother to outstanding sire Galileo, Sea The Stars, if not as good a sire as his half-brother, has proved consistently top-class at stud, with his 130 plus stakes winners headed by champions Stradivarius, Taghrooda, Baaeed, Star Catcher and Hukum, among others.
The merit of Sea The Stars as a stallion was highlighted on Sunday where his sons Sosie and Map Of Stars finished 1-2 in the Gr1 Prix Ganay and daughter Aventure won the Gr3 Prix Allez France.
The 2011 2000 Guineas unleashed a truly outstanding stallion. The classic was won in scintillating fashion by unbeaten superstar Frankel (Galileo), who has proved as successful a sire as he was a racehorse.
To date, Frankel, his sire’s best son, has sired more than 150 stakes winners, with his progeny already numbering more than 30 Gr1 winners. Frankel’s growing list of stars include fellow 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean.
Among the also rans in the 2011 Guineas were the Sandown Stud based Pathfork, whose high-class offspring include champion Royal Victory, and this season’s graded stakes winners Main Defender and Olivia’s Way.
Nijinsky – simply outstanding (Pic – Supplied)
The following year, Camelot (Montjeu) won the 2000 Guineas. A direct descendant of the mighty Kincscem, Camelot has proved a high-class sire, with his 60 plus stakes winners headed by last year’s Gr1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner Bluestocking as well as Friday’s Gr2 bet365Mile hero Dancing Gemini. Camelot was Champion Sire in France in 2024.
Just three years on, the 2014 2000 Guineas again proved to be a potent source of stallion talent. The first three home in that race, Night Of Thunder (Dubawi), Kingman (Invincible Spirit) and Australia (Galileo) have all enjoyed success at stud, with Kingman himself the sire of 2025 Guineas fancy Field Of Gold among many others.
Frankel’s sire Galileo is also the sire of 2000 Guineas winner Gleneagles and Churchill, both of whom, albeit at a lesser level than Frankel, have enjoyed success at stud.
One can but speculate on the fortunes that this year’s 2000 Guineas winner may enjoy at stud!
