2,000 Guineas 2010

First held in 1809, the 2000 Guineas is the first of the Classics of the 2010 flat horse racing season and in St Nicholas Abbey the Irish look to hold a strong chance of winning the famous race on Newmarket's Rowley Mile for the seventh time in the last 10 runnings.

The contest, which gets its name from the prize fund of the first ever race, is run over a mile and sees some of the smartest juveniles from last year bid to make the perfect start to their Classic season. The winner will be joining an illustrious roll of honour that includes names such as Nijinsky (1970), Nashwan (1989), Rock of Gibraltar (2002) and Sea The Stars (2009).

Sea The Stars won the 2009 renewal in brilliant fashion for trainer John Oxx, becoming the sixth Irish-trained colt to win since 2002. He then defied the statistics by becoming the first Guineas winner to land the Epsom Derby since Nashwan achieved the feat, before completing a remarkable season by winning the Irish Champion Stakes, the Juddmonte International and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

St Nicholas Abbey has been a short priced favourite for the 2000 Guineas throughout the winter thanks to his two-year-old form of three wins from as many runs. If he is victorious he will be earning trainer Aidan O'Brien a sixth victory in the race since 1998.

The 1000 Guineas, the equivalent of the 2000 Guineas but for three-year-old fillies, takes place 24 hours after the 2000 Guineas. It was first introduced in 1814, four years after the 2000 Guineas was first run, and the roll of honour includes names such as Attraction and Oh So Sharp. Last year's race was won by Ghanaati in a course record time.

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By: James Matthews, 29.04.2010