The 2026 Guineas Festival

Live and daily reports from Newmarket.

Saturday 2 May 2026 

Betfred 2000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1) (No Geldings)

1st: Bow Echo (IRE) 9/2 Billy Loughnane - George Boughey

2nd: Gstaad 3/1J Ryan Moore - A P O'Brien

3rd: Distant Storm 3/1J William Buick - Charlie Appleby

4th: Into The Sky (IRE) 18/1 Kieran Shoemark - Jim Boyle

2¾, 8L, 1¼, hd,

Time: 1m 35.59s (fast by 0.51s)

Bow Echo confirmed himself a colt of rare quality with a performance of authority, providing George Boughey and Billy Loughnane with a landmark Classic success.

Racing in the centre, slightly in the rear, the colt made headway in the near side group over 2f out. Ridden to lead over 1f out, he ran on well in the final 110yds, and won going away very impressively.

The Irish-born jockey, Billy Loughnane, became the youngest winner of the 2,000 Guineas since Donnacha O'Brien triumphed on Saxon Warrior in 2018, aged 19, and broke Kieren Fallon's 2003 record by reaching 222 wins in a single calendar year in 2025.

George Boughey became the youngest trainer (34) to win both the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas in the post-war era.

Sunday 3 May 2026 

3:35 Betfred 1000 Guineas Stakes (Group 1) (Fillies) 3 May 2026

1st: True Love (IRE) 5/1 Wayne Lordan - A P O'Brien

2nd: Evolutionist (IRE) 16/1 Shane Foley - K R Burke

3rd: Venetian Lace (IRE) 33/1 Jason Hart -Charlie Johnston

4th: The Prettiest Star 16/1 Kieran Shoemark - Ed Walker

1¾, ½, 2¼, 1¼

True Love won the 2026 Betfred 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, providing trainer Aidan O'Brien with his eighth victory in the fillies' Classic. Ridden by Wayne Lordan, the 5/1 shot produced a dominant performance, pulling away in the final half-furlong to win by 1¾ lengths. Antepost favourite, Precise, was in behind, on the far side, until two furlongs out, but ran on: she looks as though she needs further, and is better than her showing, and may have needed the run. Expect better next time.