With the Guineas Festival kicking off on today, the opening Classic weekend of the 2025 flat campaign is upon us. The colts are the first to strut their stuff in a compelling renewal of the 2,000 Guineas on Saturday afternoon, with Field Of Gold well fancied to hand John Gosden a long-awaited first success in the one-mile event.
As intriguing as the 2,000 Guineas is, it may be upstaged by the 1000 Guineas on Sunday afternoon. Ten fillies remain in contention following the final declarations on Friday morning. Included in that number are a pair of incredible talents from the most powerful operators in the game. It’s Desert Flower vs Lake Victoria, Godolphin vs Coolmore, and William Buick vs Ryan Moore in what promises to be a mouthwatering head-to-head clash.
Market Favours the Boys in Blue
First successful with Blue Bunting in 1998 and most recently with Mawj in 2023, Godolphin now have four 1,000 Guineas wins to their name. However, with three of those winners trained by Saeed bin Suroor and the other by Mahmood Al Zarooni, current number one trainer Chalie Appleby is still awaiting a first win in the race. Could Desert Flower be the filly to put that right?
If judged by what we have seen to date, the daughter of 2000 Guineas winner Night Of Thunder may be up to the task. Opening up with emphatic wins in Maiden and Novice company on the July Course, she added the Group 2 May Hill Stakes to her blossoming CV on her third career start. Good as those efforts were, it was her devastating display in the bet365 Fillies’ Mile which propelled her to the head of the 1000 Guineas market.
A trio of runners from the Aidan O’Brien operation and the promising Tabiti from the Ralph Beckett yard should have provided a stern test that day. In the end, they didn’t see which way Desert Flower went. Always up with the pace, she hit the front two furlongs from home before roaring clear for a resounding five-and-a-half length romp. No filly has followed up a win in the Fillies Mile with 1000 Guineas success since Minding in 2015, but few have claimed that contest in such spectacular fashion. Four from four and the subject of glowing reports from the Appleby yard, general odds of 10/11 suggest she is the one they all have to beat. However, one filly, in particular, may fancy her chances of lowering the colours of the market leader.
Victoria Victorious for Ballydoyle
Whilst Charlie Appleby has yet to claim the 1000 Guineas, Ballydoyle supremo Aidan O’Brien has landed the prize on seven occasions – two more wins will see him draw level with Robert Robson for the all-time lead. Having also claimed the top spot with the David Wachman-trained Legatissimo, the Coolmore operation is one ahead of O’Brien on eight wins.
Lake Victoria is the filly tasked with making it eight for O’Brien and nine for her owners in 2025. Sporting the famous Michael Tabor silks, this daughter of the mighty Frankel would be out on her own at the head of the market in any normal year. On her overall body of work, there are those who suggest she should be a lot closer to Desert Flower in the market.
Whereas the Godolphin star has just one top-level win, Lake Victoria racked up three Group/Grade 1 triumphs during her glittering juvenile campaign. Even more impressively, those wins came over three different distances in three different countries.
Too good for her rivals in the Moyglare Stud Stakes over seven furlongs at the Curragh, she followed up with a speedy six-furlong success in the Cheveley Park Stakes at this track. Her final stop then took her to Del Mar, where she showed the best of the US runners a clean pair of heels in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Those efforts put her two pounds clear of Desert Flower on official ratings, but will that advantage play out on the track?
Not Just a Two Horse Race
The prospect of two unbeaten stars colliding sets the pulse racing ahead of a cracking renewal of the fillies’ classic. However, there are eight other fillies heading to Newmarket with high hopes.
The highly regarded Red Letter didn’t enjoy the rub of the green last season and could go well for Ger Lyons, whilst Duty First arrives on the back of an excellent win in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes. Of the others, the once-raced Chantilly Lace and Elwateen fall into the could be anything category, and may be the most likely to surprise in a race which isn’t averse to a shock result. All in all, this is a race not to be missed!
