THE 2026 Guineas Festival takes centre stage at Newmarket this weekend with three days of top-class racing, including the first two Classics of the season – the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas.
When is the Guineas Festival 2026?
The 2026 Guineas Festival is staged across three exciting days at Newmarket.
- Racing begins on Friday, May 1 and concludes on Sunday, May 3.
- On Friday, gates open at 11.45am, with the first race at 1.45pm and the last race at 5.15pm.
- On Saturday, gates open at 11.10am, with the first race at 1.10pm and the last race at 5.55pm.
- On Sunday, gates open at 11.45am, with the first race at 1.45pm and the last race at 5.20pm.
When are the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas?
The two showpiece races of the weekend take centre stage across Saturday and Sunday.
- The 2026 2,000 Guineas will take place on Saturday, May 2 at Newmarket, with the race scheduled for approximately 3.40pm.
- The 1,000 Guineas will follow on Sunday, May 3, also due off at around 3.40pm.
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