The 1,000 Guineas Stakes at Newmarket - paired with the 2,000 Guineas on the previous day, for many signifies the beginning of the turf season and the official end of the jumps season. The changeover begins with the Guineas - the opening two Classics of five for the campaign, which tests three-year-old female horses [1,000] over the straight mile on Newmarket's Rowley Mile course.
The 1,000 Guineas acts as the opening leg of the Fillies Triple Crown, which is followed by the Epsom Oaks in June and the St Leger at Doncaster where they combine with the colts. The curtain raiser of the freshly new campaign, the standout two-year-old's of the previous term usually meet and clash here first - although many may arrive off the back of a trial in the Nell Gwyn perhaps; held at Newmarket in the lead-up to this card, or in fact any other seven-eight furlong novice event over the off-season.
The Guineas - won by some true queens in the years of old which we will discover below, help gets things underway in the heart of the spring and sets the tone for the new season as the summer begins to approach.