Sports Then and Now

Aidan O’Brien has enjoyed great success at the 2,000 Guineas, winning the event more times than any other trainer in the history of the prestigious race. The Irishman has claimed victory eight times during his career and could be on course for his ninth triumph at Newmarket.

Gustav Klimt and Saxon Warrior are the leading contenders for the crown. Both horses are from O’Brien’s yard and are quality competitors. However, a lot can still happen between now and the start of the race, therefore, it’s worth tracking Betfair’s racing news to keep up with their progress as well as today’s horse racing tips to keep the mind sharp for future punts. We’ll now look back at O’Brien’s wins at the Guineas to see whether that resulted in success for his charges later in the term.

Source: RP Weekender via Twitter

First Triumph

King of Kings brought the Irishman his first triumph at the Guineas in 1998. The bay stallion had form entering the race, having won three titles the previous season. The three-year-old made a steady start to the event with Michael Kinane in the saddle before making his move with one furlong left in the contest. He surged down the straight to claim the win ahead of Lend A Hand by one-and-a-quarter lengths. The Irish horse competed at Epsom Downs in The Derby but could not produce the same level of form before a knee injury forced him to retire.

Rock of Gibraltar

The horse was a pure stud and inhabited the winning nature of his owner Sir Alex Ferguson. He had won four titles in the previous campaign, including the Dewhurst Stakes. Rock of Gibraltar was not considered the favorite for the event but he produced a fine run to claim the victory in 2002. It was a closely-fought race, edging the favourite Hawk Wing by a neck. He went on to great success in the rest of the season, adding the Irish 2,000 Guineas, Sussex Stakes and Prix du Moulin de Longchamp to his list of victories.

Sustained Success

O’Brien kept his run going at the event with Footstepsinthesand, who claimed the title in the 2005 season, although the horse was not able to build on his success. George Washington fared better than his predecessor as he claimed the win with a composed performance at Newmarket before notching the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Royal Ascot later in the term. Henrythenavigator proved to be in the mould of Rock of Gibraltar, winning the event in 2008 by a nose ahead of New Approach. However, he went from strength-to-strength, triumphing in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the St. James’s Palace Stakes and the Sussex Stakes.

Record Breaker

Source: Newmarket Race via Twitter

Camelot ended a four-year wait for the next crown with an accomplished performance in 2012, although he had to work hard down the stretch to beat French Fifteen by a neck. The horse went on to triumph at the Irish Derby later in the term. Gleneagles proved to be another ace for O’Brien as he entered the Guineas off the back of a successful 2014 term, although he was controversially disqualified from the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. The bay colt claimed victory at the Guineas by a comfortable margin before moving on to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot. Churchill was the record-breaker for O’Brien, taking him to eight wins at the event as he just had the speed to see off Barney Roy. He added the Irish 2,000 Guineas to his tally, although he had an underwhelming 2017 campaign.