It’s Guineas weekend in Ireland and it promises to be a blockbuster.
The Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas (16h40) runs today, and the fillies contest the Irish 1000 Guineas (16h40) on Sunday.
English trainers are represented in both, including the Irish 2000 Guineas favourite Field Of Gold (5/6) who will face eight rivals as he bids for Classic redemption at the Curragh.
Curragh Racecourse is all set to kick off Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival in style this weekend (Pic – Curragh Racecourse on FB)
The Gosden-trained grey was a fast-finishing second at Newmarket earlier this month, which resulted in the Clarehaven yard installing the “best available rider” policy instead of using Kieran Shoemark.
The son of Kingman will be ridden by Irish champion jockey Colin Keane for the first time and bids to emulate his sire, who put his own 2,000 Guineas heartbreak behind him when landing the Irish equivalent 11 years ago.
The Juddmonte operation is also represented by the unbeaten Cosmic Year, an impressive King Charles II Stakes winner last time out at Newmarket. Unbeaten in three starts, this son of Kingman arrives with a big reputation. Champion jockey Oisin Murphy is re-united with the Harry Charlton yards runner, and although he is 10lbs inferior on official ratings with Field Of Gold, he could be the most progressive runner in the field.
Aidan O’Brien saddles two runners – Expanded, who finished unplaced at Newmarket behind the favourite, and a Dubawi colt called Officer. Officer was an impressive course and distance winner earlier this month and looks the stable elect.
The star-studded line-up also includes the Jessica Harrington trained Hotazhell who narrowly denied Derby favourite Delacroix in the Gr1 Futurity Trophy at Doncaster last October. He makes his seasonal reappearance but as a course and distance winner he cannot be ignored.
On the official ratings Field Of Gold stands out but Officer and Hotazhell are both very much in the mix on their home turf.
On Sunday, Lake Victoria takes on 11 fillies in the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas. The 5/4 favourite bids to give her trainer Aidan O’Brien a record-extending 11th win in the race.
The daughter of Frankel, who lost her unbeaten record when sixth in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket three weeks ago, will be joined by stablemate January, and would have come on plenty for that run.
Dermot Weld won this race in 2022 and 2023 and unleashes the unbeaten Swelter, who was an easy winner of the Priory Belle Stakes at Leopardstown in March.
That form looks strong, and this daughter of Kingman is 4/1 second favourite to give the veteran trainer a seventh Irish 1,000 Guineas and she could also provide Juddmonte with a Guineas double.
Young English trainer Ollie Sangster raids with 1000 Guineas second and third – Flight and Simmering. Oisin Murphy sticks with Flight who was only a length behind Desert Flower at Newmarket, and on current form she looks appealing at around 9/2.
