Layout Change For Guineas Course

Newmarket Racecourse will introduce a change to the course layout of the Rowley Mile for this year’s Qipco Guineas Festival May 2 and 3. The starting gates, previously positioned in the center of the course, will now be placed alongside the stand-side rail. A false rail will also be introduced three metres off the permanent stand side rail and will cut in at the three furlong pole. The maximum field size for the festival will be cut to 25 from 30 last year; however, over the last five years the festival has not had a race with more than 25 runners declared. 

The Jockey Club Racecourses’ Head of Racing Michael Prosser explained the changes were decided upon with a view to preventing the field from splitting. 

“Following consultation with certain horsemen, it was agreed that the stalls would be positioned in the center of the course for the 2004 Classics, which has remained the same ever since,” Prosser said. “This has been a successful move and the best horse in the race has invariably won. However, tactics can lead to the field splitting, which was the case in the 2014 QIPCO 2000 Guineas, and this is unsatisfactory. By positioning the stalls against the stand-side rail and introducing a false rail at the three furlong pole, we are encouraging the field to stay together with the false rail helping to eliminate any hard luck stories.” 

Trainer Roger Varian voiced his support for the change. 

“I think it’s a good thing that Michael Prosser and his team are thinking of ways that the showcase event gets run as fairly as possible as nobody likes seeing the race split,” he said. “There is a strong argument for having the stalls against the stand-side rail to encourage the field to race as one. The false rail at the three furlong marker should eliminate any hard luck stories, which are inevitable when large fields race against one rail. Truth will be in the running but I think it’s certainly a positive development.”