Horse Racing

The Thousand Guineas is one of the premier fillies events held as part of the exciting Victorian Spring Racing Carnival. Run midway through October on a Wednesday, the Group 1 Thousand Guineas is a middle distance event run over 1600m by three-year-old fillies at set weights. Worth over $500 000 it is the female equivalent to the Caulfield Guineas for colts and geldings held the previous Saturday.

The best lead-up race and guide to the Thousand Guineas is the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) held at the start of October at Flemington. This is a very popular betting double at the Spring Carnival because of the Edward Manifold’s history of producing Thousand Guineas winners. Fillies to win the double in recent years include Gallica (2008), Alinghi (2004) and Special Harmony (2003). The placegetters in the Manifold are also worth looking at for your Thousand Guineas bets, as Serious Speed (2007) and Miss Finland (2006) were both runner-up in this earlier event prior to claiming Thousand Guineas victory.

The 2011 Thousand Guineas will take place on Wednesday  October 12, 2011 at Caulfield Racecourse in Melbourne.

Thousand Guineas Betting

An interstate race to keep an eye on is the Group 1 $300 000 Flight Stakes at Randwick, run on the same day as the Edward Manifold. If a filly from Sydney performs well in the Flight Stakes and then makes their way down to Melbourne for the Thousand Guineas, they too are worth a look at. The Flight Stakes has spawned one winner and two place getters in the Thousand Guineas. Third finisher in the 2005 Flight Stakes, Mnemosyne then travelled to Caulfield and won the Thousand Guineas. The 2001 Flight Stakes winner Ha Ha was then runner-up in the Thousand Guineas, and Cheeky Choice won the 2006 Flight Stakes prior to finishing third in the Thousand Guineas.

Runners in the Thousand Guineas usually follow the race with a run in the Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m) on Derby Day and then the top prize, the $1million Group 1 Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington in November. Many dominant fillies have seen success in all three events over the years. It is a good idea when betting on these later carnival races to watch out for the winners and placegetters in the Thousand Guineas.

It is also important when betting on the Thousand Guineas to look at the records of the trainers and jockeys in the race. Lee Freedman is the only trainer to prepare two Thousand Guineas winners in the last century, winning back-to-back with Special Harmony (2003) and Alinghi (2004). And the two dominant jockeys in the Thousand Guineas have been Damien Oliver followed by Steve Arnold. Oliver has ridden four Thousand Guineas winners, three in the last six years, so in form fillies that Oliver has picked up a ride on are worth backing.

Thousand Guineas History

The Thousand Guineas is one of the younger Melbourne Spring Carnival races, first run in 1946 when Sweet Chime was victorious. It began as a principal race run over eight furlongs, but was converted to 1600m in 1972 and reached Group 1 status in 1979.

Thousand Guineas Winners

Winners and top placings for the Thousand Guineas since 2000.