Guineas Festival

The first weekend of Classic action each year, run on Newmarket's Rowley Mile - the traditional opening statement for that season's three-year-old generation, and the first real chance to see how the form built up over the winter actually stacks up on raceday.

What makes it different

Because it's the first Classic test of the year, the Guineas Festival carries a different kind of uncertainty to later Group 1s - most runners are stepping up in class and distance for the first time as three-year-olds, so trial form (from the previous autumn as a two-year-old, or from early-season trials) has to be weighed more heavily than proven current form, since there simply isn't much of that yet.

Key races

The 2,000 Guineas (colts) and 1,000 Guineas (fillies) are both run over the straight Rowley Mile, each the first Classic for their sex and the traditional starting point for that year's Derby and Oaks conversations respectively.

Betting angle

Two-year-old form from the previous season is unusually important here precisely because there's so little current-season form to go on - a horse that won well at two, especially over course and distance or against subsequently useful rivals, deserves real credit. Draw bias on the Rowley Mile's long straight can be a genuine factor too, particularly with a strong crosswind, so it's worth checking recent draw statistics before backing a big-field runner.