The Classics: All you need to know

The 2023 Flat season is now in full swing with the Newmarket Guineas Meeting on the horizon. This fixture hosts the first two Classic races of the year; the 1000 Guineas and the 2000 Guineas, which will be run by some of the very best horses in training.

Five Classic races are held in the UK each summer, each considered to be the ultimate test of a racehorse. Restricted to three-year-old runners, these Group 1 races incorporate different distances and a rare horse that manages to win over each distance has achieved what is known as ‘The Triple Crown’.

There have only been 15 winners of the English Triple Crown, the latest of which being Nijinsky in 1970.

Other countries which hold their own Classic races and Triple Crown pattern are Ireland, Australia, the United States, France and New Zealand.

The English Classics are international races with highly competitive fields of horses who had excellent two-year-old campaigns on the racecourse. As such, they are eagerly anticipated and popular occasions.

The 2000 Guineas

Inaugurated in 1809 and held this year on Saturday 6th May at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile Racecourse, the 2000 Guineas, run over one mile, is open to both colts and fillies, but is usually run by colts. There is a maximum number of 25 starters vying for victory or a slice of the £500,000 prize fund.

Winners of this race usually become top stallions after their racing careers have ended and go on to sire Classic winners themselves. A recent example of this is Dawn Approach, who won the 2000 Guineas in 2013 and whose son, Poetic Flare, won the same race in 2021.

Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has a fantastic record of training 2000 Guineas winners, with 10 of them to his name currently. O’Brien trains this year’s favourite, Auguste Rodin, and the third favourite, Little Big Bear.

Last year’s winning trainer, Charlie Appleby, has entered two colts to the 2023 renewal: Silver Knott and Noble Style. Andrew Balding, whose charge Kameko won the 2000 Guineas in 2020, is the trainer of this year’s second favourite, Chaldean.

Past winners of the 2000 Guineas

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The 1000 Guineas

First run in 1814, the 1000 Guineas is the fillies’ version of the 2000 Guineas. While fillies may compete in the 2000 Guineas, colts may not compete in the 1000 Guineas. The course and distance remain the same, as does the maximum number of runners and the prize fund of the race, which is £500,000. This year’s race will be run on Sunday 7th May.

As with the 2000 Guineas, Aidan O’Brien’s record in this race is exemplary having trained seven 1000 Guineas winning fillies. Of the last 10 renewals, 6 were won by O’Brien-trained horses. He has two fillies entered in this year’s race; the favourite, Meditate, and Never Ending Story.

Although Charlie Appleby has been the British Champion Flat Trainer for the past two years running, he is yet to win a 1000 Guineas. He will be hoping to change that with Dream Of Love, who is currently third favourite.

Saeed Bin Suroor has been successful in the 1000 Guineas on two occasions, 1998 and 2002 with Cape Verdi and Kazzia, both ridden by Frankie Dettori. This year the trainer has entered Mawj to see if he can gain a third victory.

Past winners of the 1000 Guineas

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The Epsom Oaks

The Oaks is a Group 1 Classic race for fillies over one mile and four furlongs. Held at Epsom Downs in late May or early June each year, in 2023 the race will take place on Friday 2nd June. The Oaks has a maximum of 20 runners with each renewal.

The race is named after the estate of the 12th Earl of Derby and was first run in 1779.

If a filly was to be targeting a Triple Crown, this would be her second race, subsequent to the 1000 Guineas and prior to the St Leger Stakes at Doncaster.

Unsurprisingly, Aidan O’Brien has been enormously successful in this race throughout his career, having trained a total of 10 winners thus far. Second to him currently is the late Sir Henry Cecil, who was hailed as one of the greatest Flat trainers of all time.

Nevertheless, O’Brien is taking no prisoners with his entries this year, having placed 16 fillies in the ballot. The current three market-toppers are all O’Brien-trained: Meditate (also favourite for the 1000 Guineas), Never Ending Story and Savethelastdance.

John Gosden is the only trainer to have beaten Aidan O’Brien to the win in the last eight years, having won with Enable in 2017 and Anapurna in 2019. This year John and Thady Gosden have 11 entrants in The Oaks, the least likely of which will be balloted out at the declarations stage.

Past winners of The Oaks

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The Epsom Derby

Also connected to the Earl of Derby and named after him, the Epsom Derby is a Group 1 Classic race for three-year-old colts and fillies over one mile and a half. Usually run exclusively by colts, it first took place in 1780.

Taking place at the same meeting as the Epsom Oaks, ‘Derby Day’ will this year be the 3rd June. A maximum of 20 runners will compete for the £850,000 winner’s prize. The Epsom Derby is one of the foremost events on the UK Flat racing calendar and never fails to be popular.

The Epsom Derby would be the second point in the Triple Crown for a colt, the first of which being the 2000 Guineas and the third being the St Leger Stakes.

Sir Michael Stoute is a veteran trainer of winners in the Epsom Derby, having trained six winners in total, first winning the race in 1981 with the famous Shergar and, most recently, last year with Desert Crown. The son of Galileo was a hugely popular winner, with the racing community was delighted to see Sir Michael back to Derby glory. His entrants this year are Circle Of Fire, who is owned by The King, and Crystal Mariner.

Aidan O’Brien has won eight Derbys, the last of which was in 2020 with Serpentine, who won by five and a half lengths. The favourite for this year’s Derby is Auguste Rodin, who is also favourite for the 2000 Guineas.

Past winners of The Derby

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The St Leger Stakes

The final English Classic of the UK Flat season is the St Leger Stakes, which is also the final leg in the rarely-won Triple Crown. The Group 1 race, which is run over one mile and an extended six furlongs, is held at Doncaster racecourse and has been since its initiation in 1776. This year the race will be run on Saturday 16th September.

The St Leger can be run by both colts and fillies, and is usually won by colts. Some exceptional fillies, however, have prevailed and won the Triple Crown; nine in total, including Sceptre (1902), Pretty Polly (1904), Sun Chariot (1942) and Oh So Sharp (1985).

A well-known saying amongst the racing community states: “The fastest horse wins the Guineas; the luckiest the Derby – and the best horse wins the St Leger”, which speaks volumes about the winner of the St Leger.

Of the five English Classics, this is the one in which Aidan O’Brien has had the least success in, although he has still won the race five times. John Gosden has also tallied up five wins of the St Leger, the most recent of which was in 2019 with Logician under Frankie Dettori.

Past winners of The St Leger

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