India boasts of a rich horse racing history. The sport started during the colonialism era, and it is still thriving today. Horse racing in India has heavily borrowed from the horse racing culture. The British are said to have immensely contributed to the development of this sport in India. In case you haven’t noticed, the Indian horse racing season has emulated the five annual Classics in Britain. The Indian version is known as the five Indian Classics. Among the most revered horse racing Classics in India is the 1000 Guineas.
The Indian 1000 Guineas is not different from those held in other Commonwealth countries and the United Kingdom as well. Just like in Australia, the India 1000 Guineas is a race that stretches over 1600m.
What is the Indian 1000 Guineas?
The Classics are much-anticipated horse races with a long history. Indian 1000 Guineas happens to be such a horse race. The British pioneered this horse race in some of their colonies during the colonial era. And most commonwealth territories including India still maintain this long-standing horse racing event.
Why is it called the 1000 Guineas?
The race name was derived from the first-ever money prize for the race. Back then, a guinea was equivalent to one British Sterling pound. Consequently, during the horse races, the winning horse was rewarded with 1000 Guineas.
History of the Indian 1000 Guineas
The Indian 1000 Guineas is recognized as the first Indian horse racing classic. This race came 150 years after the British classics, which began in 1814. Before this race, there were several renowned horse races in India like the Governor General’s Cup and the Calcutta Derby. But nothing of the British classics calibre.
In 1943, three Indian classics took place at the now Royal Western Club located in Mumbai. These classics included the 1000 Guineas, 2000 Guineas, and the famed Indian Derby.
The first edition of the India Guineas took place in January 1943 in Mumbai. The next 5-6 editions would either take place in December or January. But since 1948, the race has been held in December.
In the first-ever 1000 Guineas race, Princess Beautiful, under the stewardship jockey E Britt, and the training of M C Patel emerged as the winner of this race. Princess Beautiful, a filly belonging to the Maharaj of Gaekwad, would break the record by winning all the threes classics.
The first series of the 1000 Guineas stake stood at INR 20,250, but as of today, the stake has grown to a whopping INR 4,446,750.
Venue and time it’s played
The home to the India 1000 Guineas is the great Mahalaxmi Race Course. Only four of the five classics are held in this venue. The fifth one takes place at the Indian St Leger. The race is also hosted in Mumbai every year under the leadership of the Royal Western India Turf Club.
According to the tradition of this race, it has to take place in December and on a Saturday. The race is part of the Mumbai Racing Calendar, and it falls within the winter racing season.
The India 1000 Guineas is a respected race that also curtain raises for the 2000 Guineas. Unlike most races, the Indian 1000 Guineas starts at 4 PM. It is predominantly a contest of 3-year old fillies. The racing rules stipulate that the participating horses should be born and bred in India.
Indian 1000 Guineas winners from 2010
· 2010- Siachen, a horse from the Kunigal stud farm, won the 2010 1000 Guineas horse race. C.D Hayes rode this horse and J.S Dhariwal was the trainer. The horse recorded 1.35.95 winning time, while the stake for the race amounted to RS 26, 67,000.
· 2011- Alma Mater, a horse from the Equus Stud farm, emerged as the winner. B. Prakash was the jockey behind it and the trainer was P.Shroff. It clocked 1.35.95, taking home RS 33, 30,000.
· 2012- Vijay’s Pride, a filly from the Mebajeona, won the 1000 Guineas race. P.S Chouhan was the jockey that steered this horse to victory. L.V.R Deshmukh was the winning trainer as the horse cruised the 1600 m race in 1.35.75 minutes, taking home RS 33,30,000.
· 2013- Mariinsky, rode by the great Trevor Patel and trained by P Shroff went ahead to win the 2013’s 1000 Guineas Classic.
· 2014- Godspeed was the winning horse of the 2014 1000 Guineas. Suraj Narredu was the jockey who led this horse that was trained by M Nareddu to victory.
· 2015-Myrtlewood, a filly rode P.S Chouhan and trained by P Shroff, beat all the odds to win the 2015 1000 Guineas race edition.
· 2016- Mrs. Patmore was the winning filly of the 2016 1000 Guineas race. The experienced P. Shroff was the trainer behind this horse, while Trevor Patel was the Jockey who steered it to victory.
· 2017- Lady in Lace was the best performing filly in the 1000 Guineas race of 2017. Suraj Narredu rode her, and KSV Prasad Raju was the trainer.
· 2018- La Rondine took the first spot in the 1000 Guineas race edition of 2018. Leigh Roche was the jockey behind this win and Vishal Gaikwad the trainer.
· 2019- Anjeze, a filly trained by S SAttaolahi and ridden by P Trevor, beat all the other horses to win the 2019 1000 Guineas Classic.
Up to date, S Chavan is the jockey with the best winning record of the Indian 1000 Guineas. He raced for about two decades back in the 1950s. And rode over 6 fillies in his long, illustrious career as a jockey. His last historic victory came in 1972.
The 1000 Guineas is an extremely popular Classic race in India. Horse racing enthusiasts and punters wait for it with great anticipation. When it finally arrives, they come out in large numbers. Others prefer to watch this race live on TV with family and friends.
New challengers join the race every year with a strong intention to win. And it is difficult for one horse to win consecutively. There is always almost a new winner each time. But there are some jockeys and trainers who have stood over the years for winning it more than two times.
Indian 1000 Guineas Betting Online
Fixed-odds betting is allowed online and you can pick from one of the best horse race betting sites in India to place your Indian 1000 Guineas bets. Some of the most reputable are Bet365, Betway and Royal Panda. Here you can take prices early so to lock that price in even if it shortens before the off. It is very attractive for punters who understand their Indian horse racing strategy well.
Related Horse Race Clubs
- Bangalore Race Club
- Delhi Race Club
- Hyderabad Race Club
- Madras Race Club
- Mysore Race Club
- Royal Calcutta Turf Club
- Guindy Race Course
- Pune Race Club