The event was formerly staged at Phoenix Park under the title 2,000 Guineas Trial. It was originally contested over 7 furlongs, and for a period it held Group 3 status. It was downgraded to Listed level in 1987.
The race was transferred to Leopardstown in 1991. It was extended to a mile in 1994. It regained Group 3 status in 2005, and reverted to Listed class in 2013.[1] The race was reduced in distance to 7 furlongs again in 2018 and upgraded to Group 3 once more in 2023.[2]
The event can serve as a trial for various colts' Classics in Europe. The last winner to achieve victory in the Irish 2,000 Guineas was Saffron Walden in 1999. The last to win the 2,000 Guineas was Poetic Flare in 2021.
Aidan O'Brien - Saffron Walden (1999), Bach (2000), Century City (2002), Furmer's Green (2012), Black Sea (2016), Orderofthegarter (2017), Gustav Klimt (2018), Never No More (2019), Hans Andersen (2023), Battle Cry (2024)