Horse Racing

The Group 2 WA Guineas is one of the most anticipated events on the Western Australia racing calendar. Held at the picturesque Ascot racecourse in mid November, the WA Guineas is a 1600m middle distance event for three-year-olds at set weights worth $250 000. It is the first group status race for three-year-olds held in Perth each season.

Runners in the WA Guineas may progress on to other Perth races run under the same conditions like the Group 3 Lee Steere Classic (1400m) in preparation for the premier set weights race held in Perth, the $500 000 Group 1 WATC Derby (2400m) in March. Alternatively, horses may be aimed at the lucrative handicap races including the $1million Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) the following week and the $500 000 Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) three weeks later.

WA Guineas History

The inaugural winner of the WA Guineas was Footmark in 1937. The event originated as a principal race of eight furlongs and remained the same until 1972 when the distance was converted to 1600m. The race reached Group 3 status in 1979 and then became a Group 2 event only two years later in 1981.

In 2003 the WA Guineas was held at Belmont Park Racecourse, which is the other major track in Perth.

Recent WA Guineas Winners