1000 Guineas Antepost Tips 2024: 16/1 and 33/1 fancies for fillies’ Classic

On May 5, around 24 hours after the geldings' race, Newmarket stages the second Classic of the British flat season - the 1000 Guineas, a Group 1 for three-year-old fillies.

Unlike the 2000 Guineas, there's no odds-on favourite so value is rife - and I've done my best to find some for you with these 1000 Guineas antepost tips.

Current antepost favourite Ylang Ylang is almost certainly going to be the pick of Ryan Moore from the Ballydoyle battalion in the 1000 Guineas, but I prefer the claims of stablemate CONTENT at a bigger price.

Aidan O'Brien's daughter of Galileo is one of, if not the most exposed horse in the field, but she improved quite drastically throughout her juvenile campaign and looks the type to make further strides as a three-year-old.

Her first couple of runs last summer, which included a tilt at the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, were nothing more than ordinary, but after a subsequent break of 61 days things started to click.

Off the mark at the next attempt in a Leopardstown maiden, she then finished second in a Listed race at the same venue in September before a no-show when tried in Group company for the first time at the Curragh later that month.

However, it's her last two runs of the season, when upped in trip to a mile, that suggests this is a filly on a steep upward curve. A comfortable triumph in a Group 3 at the Curragh was followed by an eye-catching fourth in the G1 Juvenile Fillies Turf at the Breeders' Cup back in early November.

I've just watched back that run at Santa Anita and I have absolutely no doubts she was the best horse in the race - and I'd imagine Ryan Moore, who is usually perfect on the big stage, would love another go.

Held up in rear throughout, she was ultimately delivered too late and despite finishing like a bullet train could 'only' manage fourth, beaten just over a length by the unbeaten Hard To Justify in his backyard.

That was easily a career-best performance that was very much in line with the improvement she'd been showing for months, so there's plenty of reason to believe she can continue progressing this term.

She's proven at the trip, is completely ground versatile and trained by a master. There's a lot to like - and I wouldn't at all be put off by her not being the stable's primary hope, for three of their last four winners of the 1000 Guineas weren't either.

I'm also suggesting Ralph Beckett's SKELLET at just over twice the price.

The Kingman filly was a rare mid-season purchase for Juddmonte after following up a promising debut at Sandown with a comfortable victory at Salisbury and she sported those famous silks for the first time when a narrow second in the G3 Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket last October.

She was beaten just a neck by Godolphin's Dance Sequence, who is currently 7/1 for the 1000 Guineas, despite breaking slowly and quickly being asked to pass the entire field as early as five furlongs out. I thought that was a very good run in the circumstances.

I can't believe the price difference between the two. For me, the beautifully-bred Skellet has been seriously overlooked in the market.

Improvement is for sure needed for her to win a race like the 1000 Guineas, but these three-year-olds, especially the fillies, improve at vastly different rates and the selection has all the credentials to do exactly that.