The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late April or early May.
Johnny Murtagh is an Irish flat racing jockey and trainer from Bohermeen, Kells, County Meath. He has won many of the major flat races in Europe, including all the Irish Classics, all the Group 1 Races at Royal Ascot, The Derby, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes and Europe's biggest race the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. He has also been Irish flat racing Champion Jockey five times.
Michael J. Kinane is an Irish former flat racing jockey. He had a 34-year career, retiring on 8 December 2009.
The Sussex Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Goodwood over a distance of 1 mile, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late July or early August.
The King Edward VII Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old colts and geldings. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 1 mile 3 furlongs and 211 yards, and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
The Irish 2,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile, and it is scheduled to take place each year in May.
Aidan Patrick O'Brien is an Irish horse racing trainer. Since 1996, he has been the private trainer at Ballydoyle Stables near Rosegreen in County Tipperary for John Magnier and his Coolmore Stud associates.
Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operation is currently owned and run by the Magnier family, which has been associated with a long sequence of top-class stallions since the 1850s, originally in County Cork, where stallions still stand as part of Coolmore today.
The Coventry Stakes is a Group 2 flat horse race in Great Britain open to two-year-old horses. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 6 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in June.
Mastercraftsman is a Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. The four-time Group One-winning colt was trained by Aidan O'Brien and was ridden by Johnny Murtagh in all of his wins. He is out of mare Starlight Dreams and by top stallion Danehill Dancer.
Virginia Waters is an American-bred, Irish-trained Thoroughbred racehorse. In a racing career which lasted from September 2004 to October 2005 she ran twelve times and won three races. After winning once from four starts as a two-year-old, she won the Group Three Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes on her first appearance of 2005. She then recorded her most important success when winning the Classic 1000 Guineas two of her six races including an upset win in the Group Two Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket Racecourse. Virginia Waters failed to win her remaining six races, her best results coming when she finished fourth in The Oaks and second in the Matron Stakes. At the end of her three-year-old season she was retired from racing to become a broodmare.
Imagine was an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare best known for winning the Irish 1000 Guineas and The Oaks in 2001. In a racing career which lasted from August 2000 to June 2001 the filly ran ten times and won four races. As a two-year-old, Imagine ran six times, winning the Group Three C. L. Weld Park Stakes at the Curragh and finishing second in the Group Two Rockfel Stakes at Newmarket. The following spring, the filly was beaten in her first two races before winning the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh. Imagine recorded her most valuable success on her final appearance, winning the Classic Oaks over one and a half miles at Epsom. She never raced again, but proved to be a successful broodmare.
Bolkonski was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. Originally trained in Italy, the colt moved to England for the 1975 season where he recorded an upset victory over Grundy in the classic 2000 Guineas at Newmarket Racecourse. He went on to win two other major British races over one mile, the St James's Palace Stakes at Ascot and the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood. At the end of the season he was retired to stud where he had limited success as a sire of winners.
Medicean was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for his performances as a four-year-old in 2001, when he recorded three consecutive wins in important British races. Unraced as a two-year-old, Medicean ran eight times in 2000, winning the Celebration Mile and finishing third in both the St James's Palace Stakes and the Sussex Stakes. In the early part of the following year, the colt showed his best form, winning the Lockinge Stakes, Queen Anne Stakes and Eclipse Stakes. He was retired to stud at the end of the year and had considerable success as a sire of winners.
Reform (1964–1983) was an Irish-bred British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from April 1966 until October 1967 he won eleven of his fourteen races. As a two-year-old he was beaten on his debut but won his remaining six races and was rated among the best colts of his generation in Britain. Reform was never entered in the British Classic Races, but proved himself to be an outstanding three-year-old in 1967, winning five of his seven starts. After winning the St James's Stakes, St James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes he ended his career by beating The Derby winner Royal Palace in the Champion Stakes.
The Grey Gatsby is an Irish-bred racehorse who was trained in Britain and Ireland. In 2014 he established himself as one of the best colts of his generation in Europe by winning the Dante Stakes and the Prix du Jockey Club before defeating the dual Derby winner Australia in the Irish Champion Stakes. At the end of the year he was rated level with Australia and Kingman as the best three-year-old colt in the world. He has continued to compete in Group races until 2017 but did not recapture the form shown in his three-year-old season.
Gleneagles is an Irish Thoroughbred racehorse. After finishing fourth on his debut, he finished first in his remaining five races as a two-year-old in 2014 and was named Cartier Champion Two-year-old Colt. He won the Tyros Stakes, Futurity Stakes and National Stakes in Ireland before being disqualified after crossing the line in first place in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère in France. On his three-year-old debut he won the 2000 Guineas and followed up in the Irish 2,000 Guineas three weeks later. In June he added a win in the St James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Shavian was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He showed his best form over one mile and usually ran his races from the front. As a two-year-old in 1989 he showed promising form, winning the second of his two starts. In the following year he was beaten twice in spring but then established himself as a top-class miler with wins in the St James's Palace Stakes and the Celebration Mile. He was retired at the end of the year and stood as a breeding stallion in Europe and Japan, but had little success as a sire of winners.
Mr Jinks was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. He was one of the best two-year-olds in England in 1928 when he won five of his seven races including the New Stakes, July Stakes, Lavant Stakes and Prendergast Stakes. In the following spring he took the Severals Stakes before recording his biggest success in the 2000 Guineas. He failed when favourite for the Epsom Derby but returned to form to win the St James's Palace Stakes. His performances subsequently deteriorated and he was retired from racing at the end of the year. He made little impact as a breeding stallion.
Palace Pier is a British Thoroughbred racehorse. He won two minor events as a juvenile and a handicap race on his three-year-old debut before emerging as a top-class performer with victories in the St James's Palace Stakes and Prix Jacques Le Marois
