On Sunday afternoon, the 205th staging of the 1,000 Guineas takes place at Newmarket and as ever, punters will be looking for value for money when it comes to placing their bet. However, you have to go back to 2012 - when Ryan Moore first won this race on Homecoming Queen - for the last time that a horse prevailed at betting odds of greater than 9/1 and when you consider that only five runners in a packed field are regarded at that price or shorter, this weekend's race may lead to less chances taken on outsiders.
The horse racing betting odds of all the leading bookmakers will have Happily as the favourite to claim victory at the famous Suffolk course. You can get anything between 2/1 and 3/1 for the Irish filly and it is a fair price given the three-year-old's failure at Del Mar last time out. There is not any lasting concern over that ride with Happily having recorded four wins and a second from her previous five outings and the odds are representative of punters taking their chances with the chasing pack. In reality, however, it would not be a surprise if Happily goes off shorter than 2/1 come start time on Sunday, once a significant bet is placed.
That said, punters will find every reason to back Soliloquy who stands to be available at anything between 5/1 and 6/1. The odds of the Charlie Appleby trained horse have already started to shorten and that comes with the stable being in scintillating form in recent weeks. Appleby has two runners in this race - the other being another fancied horse in Wild Illusion - but Soliloquy won over the same course and distance last month and there is every confidence that she will only progress in her upcoming outing on Sunday. She stands to go off at career-high odds but her potential has led to jockey William Buick still considering which horse to board.
The AP O'Brien horse I Can Fly has been well backed in recent days, despite only registering third spot in each of the last two outings. However, the shortening in price - as with Happily - comes from O'Brien's success in this race. Since 2005, the Irishman has claimed victory on four occasions - including the last two races - and the 48-year-old is looking to end a century-long period where no trainer has won three times in a row. Sunday will mark the 100-year anniversary since George Lambton completed the successive treble and it is an achievement which will not be lost on O'Brien.
If you are looking for a dark horse to challenge the main contenders, Laurens is probably your horse. The French filly's last outing came all the way back in October but it was at this course and she upset the odds by coming in at 10/1. Her rivals trump her for experience but word has it that preparations have been impeccable and if she can show that looking accustomed to the Newmarket course was not a fluke, there is every reason to expect her to go close on Sunday and that is also the view of trainer Karl Burke.
The best of the rest may be Liquid Amber, despite just the two career starts. The American was mightily impressive when ousting 2/7 favourite Ballet Shoes at Curragh back in August and if she has progressed as anticipated, she is a live contender at around 16/1 and a place is certainly a real possibility.
