ITV Racing Tips: Betfred 2000 Guineas for export?

It's Day Two of the Betfred Guineas Festival, and time for the season's first Classic - the Betfred 2000 Guineas. A historic contest that dates back to 1809, and won by some of the greats of the turf. Frankel, Nijinsky, Brigadier Gerard, Dancing Brave, Sea The Stars and Nashwan among them; the list is staggering, and beyond impressive.

The 2025 incarnation looks wide-open and of course is the centre point of ITV's live coverage on Saturday, May 3. Four races from Newmarket's bumper nine-contest programme, one from Goodwood, and the fabled Hunt Cup from Thirsk. Grab a drink of choice and settle down to watch a little bit of history unfold.

Horse Racing Odds

Today's Horse Races

Full ITV schedule;

• 13:45 Newmarket - 6f Betfred Handicap
• 14:00 Goodwood - 1m Conqueror Stakes (Listed)
• 14:20 Newmarket - 1m 1f Suffolk Handicap
• 14:35 Thirsk - 1m Thirsk Hunt Cup (Handicap)
• 14:55 Newmarket - 5f Hong Kong Jockey Club Palace House Stakes (Group 3)
• 15:35 Newmarket - 1m Betfred 2,000 Guineas (Group 1)

Rationale;

13:45 Newmarket - More Thunder @ 3/1

My selection More Thunder heads most betting lists as I write, and it's not hard to see why.

He's a four-year-old Night Of Thunder colt in the care of HQ trainer William Haggas (23% strike-rate in the last 14 days). Tom Marquand, in similar compelling form stats-wise, has the riding assignment.

On seasonal reappearance 18 days ago, over this course-and-distance, the Saeed Suhail-owned former Sir Michael Stoute inmate was a revelation. In a similarly warm handicap, and dropping down to 6f after being campaigned at nearer twice as far in his five previous career starts, he sluiced up.

Big advance on his best Racing Post Rating, and seemingly a masterstroke of planning. The ground that day was good-to-soft, and he was tardily away. I wouldn't want a repeat of that start on this better ground, but as long as he breaks something like on terms, that finishing power can propel him to another sprint victory, even with a 5lb penalty to shoulder.

Fabulous race.

14:00 Goodwood - Sirona @ 3/1

One of our very best jockeys, Rossa Ryan, is here and not at Newmarket today. I'd say that's a massively interesting detail, and he's got five booked rides that surely warrant the very closest scrutiny.

One of them is this one mile Listed fillies' clash, and Rossa teams up with David Menuisier's five-year-old mare Sirona. The daughter of Soldier Hollow was in good form last autumn, taking a Listed heat at HQ and then when last seen at Saint-Cloud in heavy ground was a decent second albeit at a respectable distance in a G3.

She's right up there with the better-treated members of the fairer sex in this field today, officially rated 105, and her trainer has had three winners from his last 13 runners (23%). Rossa's been a little quiet by his stellar standards, but we know that won't last for long. Lovely race.

14:20 Newmarket - Dutch Decoy each-way @ 9/1

We're paying four places each-way in this trappy-looking 9f handicap, so let's take full advantage of that.

My selection travels down from Charlie Johnston's yard on Middleham Moor in North Yorkshire - an eight-year-old veteran that looks primed for a big run in my eyes.

Dutch Decoy reappeared for the season 16 days ago in an apprentice heat at Ripon over a mile, slowly away, and never getting competitive. In this very race last year he finished a fine second, beaten just 1.75l, off a mark of 92. He lines up this afternoon seven spots lower, on 85, and I think that's a very telling potential advantage.

If he's straight then he looks dangerously well-handicapped to me and his shrewd yard needs no introduction when it comes to plundering big prizes at some of our great festival meetings. Quite apart from his handicap mark he's got a gorgeous actual racing weight of 8st 5lb too, which can only help.

Nine wins in 71 career starts speaks of ability and admirable longevity. Be nice to round that up to 10 this afternoon.

14:35 Thirsk - Obelisk @ 4/1

A famous old charge for the Thirsk Hunt Cup; we're paying four places each-way, and that was my thought when I began this piece - as the horse was a 6/1 chance. It's been heavily backed in to around 4s as we speak, so I'll leave you to decide about he each-way factor. It could easily drift out again - the excitement of it all!

My selection then is Obelisk, a five-year-old Sea The Stars gelding, trained in Norton, North Yorkshire by Julie Camacho. Ryan Sexton is very familiar with the horse and he'll be doing the pushing.

Julie sent one down to Chelmsford the other day, one I tipped in the Lucky 15 column, and it absolutely hosed up (3l) under Tom Marquand. The yard are in very decent order (24% strike-rate, last 14 days), and I'm hoping this might be another for the 'W' column.

Had a little prep over 7f of this course on seasonal reappearance three weeks ago and ran on, nearest at the finish, beaten 2.5l. That was off a mark of 86 (same today) and he's been rated as high as 96 in the past (finished a close second off 93 in the summer of 2023, when trained by Team Gosden).

His last winning spot was 82 last September but this does look a realistic test. Drawn in 11 of 13, but in a relatively small field (16 permitted, but 11 are due to start), that shouldn't be much of an issue.

Loads of value to be had in general, and a cracking puzzle to attempt to solve, as always.

14:55 Newmarket - Washington Heights @ 5/1

The Hambleton, North Yorkshire yard of Kevin Ryan is in very respectable order right now and he fields a consistent five-year-old gelding to contest this 5f G3.

Washington Heights has won here over 6f and is one of the better treated on official figures (his mark of 107 is narrowly bettered by only two of his rivals).

He ran in Qatar in February when last seen, finishing a close-up second in what's billed as a 'local' G3, and he kept very illustrious company throughout 2024, showing up for the likes of the Abernant here (G3, won), York's Duke of York Clipper Stakes (G2, beaten half-a-length), The Nunthorpe, again on the Knavesmire (G1, beaten just over 4l), and the G1 Abbaye at Longchamp (beaten 4.5l).

This looks right up his street, and he has a very obvious and realistic chance in my book.

15:35 Newmarket - Green Impact each-way @ 12/1

So to the big one - the Betfred 2000 Guineas, and the first Classic of 2025. Three-year-old colts on the Rowley Mile, chasing immortality. First step possibly on a run for the Triple Crown? Don't forget that Fred has put up a £2m bonus for any horse who manages to pull it off - 'do a Nijinsky' if you like. It's odds-against all right, but in sport, you just never know ...

For me, the race is wide-open. My selection isn't well in on official marks, and represents a stable that used to be better-known for its jumpers - but in more recent years is a presence all right to be reckoned with on the level. And how.

I almost literally bumped into trainer Jessica Harrington at Uttoxeter several years ago, a decade or more, no doubt on Midlands Grand National day. I mumbled nervously something along the lines of 'such a pleasure to meet you - I'm a great admirer,' or some such drivel. She was charming and polite in the face of this gibbering plonker - what else.

Jessie brings her Wootton Bassett colt Green Impact to Newmarket for the Guineas, and he's a cracking each-way play for me (we're playing four places).

Three runs at two - a narrow Curragh reverse on debut, maiden victory at Leopardstown, and a G2 win on the same track beating a good yardstick in Delacroix, who returned to take a G3 easily last month.

We're taking plenty on trust, but that's the stage of the season that we're in. Just over half of the field haven't run yet as a three-year-old, but that's been no hinderance in the past to many winners of this fabulous prize. It's about potential, promise, dreams, glory - and for one set of connections, a 2000 Guineas crown to tuck nicely away to cherish for eternity.

Mrs Harrington is a legend. A brilliant trainer in every regard. I'm happy to row in with her charge here, out of a Galileo mare too, lest we forget, and fingers crossed that at a smashing price we get a great run for our pennies.

ITV Racing Tips from Betfred Insights.