Which was the last horse to win the English & Irish 2,000 Guineas?
The last horse to win the English and Irish 2,000 Guineas was the Galileo colt, Churchill, owned by
Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Susan Magnier and trained by Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle, Co. Tipperary. Named Cartier Champion Two-year-old Colt in 2016, after winning five of his six races, Churchill headed straight to Newmarket for the 2,000 Guineas without a preparatory race. Ridden by regular partner Ryan Moore, Churchill was sent off 6/4 favourite and, having taken the lead over a furlong from home, stayed on well under pressure to beat Barney Roy – who stumbled badly on the downhill run into the famous ‘Dip’ – by a length.
Exactly three weeks later, Churchill lined up for the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh, in which he faced just five opponents, all of whom were officially rated at least 4lb inferior. Unsurprisingly, Churchill was sent off 4/9 favourite to win his second Classic and did so in some style. Patiently ridden by Ryan Moore, Churchill made progress on the wide outside inside the final quarter-of-a-mile before sweeping into the lead approaching the final furlong and extending his advantage all the way to the finish. He eventually passed the post two-and-a-half lengths ahead of second favourite Thunder Snow with another four-and-a-half lengths back to the third horse.