2000 1000 Guineas

The race attracted a field of eighteen runners, seventeen trained in the United Kingdom and one in Ireland: there were no challengers from continental Europe. The favourite was the unbeaten Michael Stoute-trained Petrushka who had won the Nell Gwyn Stakes on her most recent appearance. The Irish challenger was Amethyst, trained by Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle who had won the Leopardstown 1,000 Guineas Trial Stakes three weeks earlier. The Godolphin Racing stable entered Bintalreef, a filly who had won her only race as a two-year-old before wintering in Dubai. The other fancied runners included Seazun, winner of the Cheveley Park Stakes and the Henry Cecil-trained High Walden, the winner of a maiden race at Leicester Racecourse. Major winners who were less well-supported included the Rockfel Stakes winner Lahan, the Cherry Hinton Stakes winner Torgau (voted Cartier Champion Two-year-old Filly of 1999), the Oh So Sharp Stakes winner Agrippina and the Sweet Solera Stakes winner Princess Ellen. Petrushka headed the betting at odds of 6/4 ahead of Bintalreef (5/2) and High Walden (9/1) with Amethyst and Seazun on 10/1.[1]

At the start of the race, the fillies looked likely to split into two groups on the wide Newmarket straight, but soon converged to race up the stands side (the left side from the jockeys' viewpoint). The 50/1 outsider Velvet Lady set the pace from the 200/1 shot Claranet with Torgau, Amethyst, Bintalreef, Issey Rose and Princess Ellen close behind. The field bunched a quarter of a mile from the finish, with Petrushka, Lahan, Princess Ellen, Halland Park Girl, Aunty Rose and Bintalreef being affected by the resulting congestion, while Seazun made progress on the outside. Having obtained a clear run, Lahan accelerated through the centre of the field and took the lead approaching the final furlong. Princess Ellen stayed on along the rail to emerge as the only serious challenger, but Lahan won by one and a quarter lengths. Petrushka was three lengths back in third ahead of Seaun and High Walden, Velvet Lady, Torgau and Amethyst. The second favourite Bintalreef finished last of the eighteen runners, having pulled a muscle exiting the starting stalls and never raced again.[1]

• Sponsor: Sagitta
• First prize: £145,000
• Surface: Turf
• Going: Good
• Distance: 8 furlongs
• Number of runners: 18
• Winner's time: 1:36.38

Further details of the winner, Lahan

• Foaled: 22 January 1997
• Country: United Kingdom
• Sire: Unfuwain; Dam: Ballet Shoes (Mr Prospector)
• Owner: Hamdan Al Maktoum
• Breeder: Shadwell Estates