Ahead of this year’s first fillies’ Classic, we’re taking a trip down memory lane and picking out our five favourite 1000 Guineas winners.
The Newmarket Classic was first staged in 1814 and has been won by some of Flat racing’s great female thoroughbreds.
Here are our top picks from a long and illustrious honours board:
1. Miesque (1987)
Big things were expected of Francois Boutin’s filly at HQ after being crowned the champion juvenile of her sex following two Group One victories – and she did not disappoint on the Rowley Mile!
Jockey Freddy Head was content to bide his time on the Stavros Niarchos-owned daughter of Nureyev but the pair looked in trouble when getting stuck behind a wall of horses at the furlong pole.
However, once Miesque found some daylight, her blistering speed came to the rescue and she picked off main market rival Milligram and Interval with time to spare.
Miesque went on to be a 10-time Group One winner, including becoming the first horse to claim the same Breeders’ Cup race in back-to-back years.
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2. Petite Etoile (1959)
Owned and bred by the Aga Khan, Petite Etoile is French for ‘little star’ and oh how this flying grey lived up to her name.
Initially considered just a speedy two-year-old unlikely to train on, the Noel Muless-trained filly was ignored by Lester Piggott at HQ but stayed on strongly to beat Rosalba under Doug Smith.
Piggott did not make the same mistake again, as Petite Etoile went on to rattle off Oaks, Sussex Stakes, Yorkshire Oaks and Champion Stakes victories to be named British horse of the year.
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3. Oh So Sharp (1985)
Subsequent Irish 1000 Guineas winner Al Bahathri and future Prix de l’Opera star Bella Colora looked set to fight out the finish when forging clear at the furlong pole on unusually firm ground.
However, Steve Cauthen conjured up a late surge from Oh So Sharp and she collared the leading duo in the dying strides to prevail by two short-heads in a thrilling three-way photo.
The stamina shown by Henry Cecil’s filly at Newmarket would stand her in good stead as she went on to land the Oaks and the St Leger, making her the last Triple Crown winner of either sex.
American ace Cauthen called Oh So Sharp “without doubt, the best filly I have ridden” and her significance to British racing is only enhanced by the fact she was a first Classic winner for owner-breeder Sheikh Mohammed.
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4. Love (2020)
Aidan O’Brien has established a superb record in this Classic and this daughter of Galileo must be rated among the best 1000 Guineas winners to come over from Ballydoyle.
Love had to wait until June to make her three-year-old debut at HQ due to the Covid-19 pandemic but made up for lost time by galloping on strongly to score by more than four lengths.
Ryan Moore was again in the saddle when his mount followed up by turning the Oaks into a procession, romping home by nine lengths in a record time, with the jockey stating: “She’s got a great temperament.”
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5. Highclere (1975)
Dick Hern’s charge gave Queen Elizabeth II one of her most memorable triumphs when getting the better of a ding-dong battle with subsequent Oaks winner Polygamy.
Just a head separated them at the finishing line, as both horses displayed great courage to match their class.
Highclere’s exploits on the track would even be eclipsed by her record at stud, producing Height Of Fashion, whose progency included Nashwan, one of our six of the best 2000 Guineas stars.
https://x.com/NewmarketRace/status/1116989399965761536?s=20
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