The Irish 2,000 Guineas, run each May at the iconic Curragh—one of the top worldwide tracks—is Ireland’s first Classic of the flat racing season and one of the most prestigious races for three-year-olds.
The race often highlights thoroughbreds worth following in the horse racing betting for the rest of the campaign, and recent renewals have produced some truly outstanding champions.
That said, here’s a look back at the last five winners of the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
2024 – Rosallion
Rosallion delivered a stunning performance to win last year’s renewal of the lucrative race, landing a first Irish Classic for trainer Richard Hannon.
After a narrow defeat to Notable Speech in the English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s colt made no mistake at the Curragh.
Showing a blistering turn off foot late on under Sean Levey, the three-year-old reeled in his stablemate Haatem to score by a head. He went on to win a Group 1 at Royal Ascot.
2023 – Paddington
In 2023, it was Paddington who lit up the Curragh with a commanding performance under top jockey Ryan Moore for elite trainer Aidan O’Brien.
After winning a handicap at Naas on reappearance just a couple of months earlier, Paddington’s rise up the ranks was astronomical.
He proved his ability when running on in the closing stages to beat stablemate Cairo by two lengths, and went on to become a fan favourite with further Group 1 wins at Ascot, Sandown and Goodwood.
2022 – Native Trail
Native Trail went into his three-year-old season in 2022 with a weight of expectation, having been crowned the Champion two-year-old the prior campaign.
A victory in the Craven in April sent him into the English Guineas as the short-price favourite, but he was stunned by fellow Godolphin horse Coroebus at Newmarket.
Nevertheless, he bounced back for the dangerous duo of William Buick and Charlie Appleby at the Curragh, bursting into the lead a furlong out and staying on for a comfortable win over New Energy.
2021 – Mac Swiney
The soft to heavy ground at the Curragh for the 2021 renewal proved a test for the field, and it was Mac Swiney who delivered from 8/1 in a dramatic finish.
Trained by Jim Bolger and ridden by Rory Cleary, Mac Swiney just did enough to deny his more fancied stablemate Poetic Flare by a shorthead.
It was a massive occasion for Bolger, not only because the veteran trainer finally won his first Irish Guineas but because he also bred, owned, and trained the son of New Approach.
2020 – Siskin
Unbeaten at two, with four wins—including in the prestigious Group 1 Phoenix Stakes—Siskin extended his winning streak in the Irish 2,000 Guineas on his reappearance as a three-year-old.
The Juddmonte-owned colt, who’s a son of an American Grade 1 winner First Defence, justified favouritism when staying on strongly to beat the O’Brien-trained Vatican City by almost two lengths.
It marked the first Irish 2,000 Guineas success for top trainer Ger Lyons, while it was also a maiden Classic triumph for jockey Colin Keane.
