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How to watch the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas on TV with our armchair viewing guide

Gemma Redrup Gemma Redrup

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    • If you can’t make it to the Betfred Guineas Festival at Newmarket (2–4 May 2025) in person, there is no need to miss any of the action, as we bring you our helpful TV guide so you can watch this year’s runners in the first Classics of the year.

    ITV and the ITVX streaming service will be showing some of the races from the meeting for free in the UK. If you’re abroad, and trying to watch ITVX like you normally would back in the UK, then you can use a VPN. Check out NordVPN, where you can get 73% off, plus a 30-day money back guarantee, and follow the instructions below.

    What are the Guineas?

    As the first two Classics of the British Flat racing season, the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas are among the most famous horse races in the world.

    Run over a mile at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile racecourse, the 2,000 Guineas is contested by colts and fillies and the 1,000 Guineas solely by fillies. The two races are limited to three-year-old Thoroughbreds only.

    The 2,000 Guineas was first run in 1809, while the inaugural 1,000 Guineas was staged five years later. At the time the races were named after the prize money given to the winner of each – with one guinea amounting to 21 shillings or £1.05.

    By the 1860s the Guineas were considered to be two of the most significant races in the UK for three-year-olds and today attract the very best horses of their age in Europe. Often the races highlight potential contenders and winners of the third and fourth Classics of each year, the Derby and Oaks staged at Epsom Downs.

    The total prize money for each race is more than £500,000, with the winner of the 2,000 Guineas taking home £297,728, while the winner of the 1,000 Guineas takes home £311,025.

    The Guineas on TV: how to watch

    ITV Racing will show live coverage of the Guineas Festival, including the two big races,

    Ed Chamberlin will present coverage of the meeting headlined by the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, alongside a top team of industry professionals.

    Racing TV, a paid-for channel, will show the entirety of the Guineas meeting at Newmarket.

    What time does it start?

    The 2,000 Guineas gets underway on Saturday 3 May at 3.35pm, while the 1,000 Guineas starts at 3.35pm on Sunday 4 May.

    How to watch the Guineas outside the UK

    While it is not necessary to use a VPN to access ITV’s live stream, if you would like to protect your online viewing from being monitored by third-parties, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help you do this. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t able to track what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.

    There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. We’d suggest using a paid-for service such as NordVPN, where you can get 73% off, which offers a 100% risk-free money back guarantee. If you’re not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.

    How to use a VPN

    Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

    1. Install the VPN of your choice. NordVPN is the one we recommend.

    2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access.

    3. Then head over to ITV on your browser or device and enjoy the livestream.

    Save 73% with NordVPN
    Use this secure VPN to access the ITV live stream from anywhere in the world. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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    We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:

    1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service)
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    We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing. 

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    Gemma Redrup
    Gemma Redrup

    H&H features, racing and point-to-point editor
    Gemma is an experienced journalist, having been part of the H&H team since 2014, who is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s reporting talents have taken her to numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.
    Gemma Redrup

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