The Stan James Guineas Festival, which was sponsored by one of Britain’s leading independent bookmakers for the first time in 2006, features the first two Classics of the British flat racing season on Newmarket’s NatWest Rowley Mile Racecourse on Saturday 5^th and Sunday 6^th May.  This year's Festival carries carries over £1.15m in prize money across its fourteen races, with each Guineas worth a record £350,000. 

The NatWest Rowley Mile is arguably the most historic major sporting venue in the world today.  Named after Old Rowley, a nickname given both to Charles II and his faithful hack, the Rowley Mile has hosted flat racing for three and a half centuries.   The unique, straight Rowley Mile course is largely unchanged since that time – just the stands are new – and it is on this hallowed turf that the latest champions will emerge at this year’s Stan James Guineas Festival. 

Hot favourite Finsceal Beo led home an Irish one-two in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday.

Kevin Manning had the filly well-placed throughout the race and she pulled clear of the field two furlongs out.

Arch Swing chased the 5-4 favourite home but never looked like catching her with Simply Perfect in third.

Finsceal Beo is trained by Manning's father-in-law Jim Bolger, whose Teofilo was the antepost favourite for the 2000 Guineas before a last-minute injury.

Stan James 1000 Guineas
Newmarket 1m
1 Finsceal Beo (K Manning) 5-4f
2 Arch Swing (M Kinane) 10-1
3 Simply Perfect (J Murtagh) 9-1
21 ran.

Finsceal Beo heads the 23 declared for Sunday's 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.

Victory for the filly would compensate trainer Jim Bolger, whose ante-post favourite Teofilo was ruled out of the 2000 Guineas on Thursday with injury.

Second-favourite Sander Camillo, trained by Jeremy Noseda, has been left in the field despite disappointing in her work this week.

But Magic America, who was also prominent in the betting, was withdrawn after suffering a leg injury.

"She's fractured her front fetlock cantering this morning," said trainer Criquette Head-Maarek.

"She's going to be OK and will not have to be put down but just cannot run.

"She was so well. It's been a long time since I had one as good as her for a big race in England," added the French trainer, who has won the 1000 Guineas three times.

The only other withdrawal at Friday's confirmation stage was the Paul Blockley-trained Wait Watcher.

Finsceal Beo was the champion juvenile filly and trainer Bolger is hoping she can justify her hot favouritism.

"She is very well. There have been no problems with her and it has all been plain sailing," he said. "I am expecting a good performance from her."

Richard Hannon's stable believe they have a good chance of breaking their 1000 Guineas hoodoo with their two runners, Indian Ink, who won last season's Cheveley Parks Stakes, and Selinka.

The East Everleigh trainer has won the 2000 Guineas three times but the fillies' equivalent has eluded him so far.

"Indian Ink is absolutely winging. She's flying at home and she's a very good filly," said the trainer's son, Richard Hannon junior.

Newmarket trainer Jeremy Noseda saddles the Shadwell Nell Gwyn runner-up, Sander Camillo, and last year's Meon Valley Stud Fillies' Mile winner, Simply Perfect.

Other highly-rated local challengers include the Sir Michael Stoute-trained Kaseema and the Michael Jarvis-trained Yaqeen.

In addition to Finsceal Beo, three other fillies will make the journey from Ireland - the John Oxx-trained Arch Swing, Kevin Prendergast's Miss Beatrix and Aidan O'Brien's challenger, Theann.

The 23 runners equal the second-biggest field for the fillies' Classic since the World War II.

David Elsworth is renowned as an expert horseman, but even his genius for solving equine challenges has been tested by talented filly Barshiba, who he rates much better than her 50-1 price for Sunday's Stan James 1,000 Guineas.

Barshiba's problem is that she has limited vision in her right eye. This may well have contributed to her swerving left over a furlong out in the Nell Gwyn Stakes, where she finished a respectable fifth to Scarlet Runner, on the heels of the Guineas contenders Sander Camillo and Kaseema.

In an attempt to rectify the problem, Elsworth worked the filly in a one-eyed blinker at home, completely blocking the head-gear on the off-side. But the exercise didn't work. "There was no significant difference," the trainer reported, "So, we've now decided not to fit anything on Sunday," he added.

Barshiba's wayward tendencies have been off-putting for many - some unaware of her partial sight have already declared her ungenuine - but Elsworth believes she deserves a chance to prove herself at the top level.

"When she was a foal she got an infection in her eye, and if you look at the pupil closely you can see blotches. She's partially-sighted. She has ability and has a sporting chance on Sunday if they go a really good gallop. That's what she needs.

"I see some bookmakers are offering 50-1 and when you consider she was only a length-and-threequarters behind Sander Camillo in the Nell Gwyn and that filly is 4-1, she looks good value, if things fall into place for her," Elsworth added.

Barshiba is a half-sister to Doctor Dash, who proved a useful handicapper before being sold to Saudi Arabia.

In other 1,000 Guineas news, Kevin Prendergast remains upbeat about the chances of Miss Beatrix, despite her being an unknown over the trip. "She has more a sprinting pedigree than a miler. However, she got seven on soft at The Curragh last year and did it well, so she has every chance of getting the trip. Whether she is good enough (to win) is another day's work," said Prendergast.