The Tattersalls sponsored Irish Guineas festival takes place at the Curragh over the weekend, with the 2,000 Guineas (16h40) on Saturday.
The girls strut their stuff on Sunday in the 1,000 Guineas. Track conditions on Friday were carded as good, good to firm in places.
Aidan O’Brien – has won the Irish 2000 Guineas 12 times – looking for the 13th! (Pic – HKJC)
Aidan O’Brien has won the Irish 2,000 Guineas a record 12 times and saddles three here. His Wootton Bassett colt River Tiber looks his main hope with Ryan Moore aboard.
Unproven over the trip, having only won up to six-furlongs, River Tiber must be respected in this field of eight coming from the Ballydoyle yard.
However, he should struggle to match the Richard Hannon trained English raider Rosallion, who ran a fine second in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and is 6lbs higher on official ratings.
The favourite should be even better suited to this flatter track, and as long as the course does not receive too much rain, he should be too classy for his rivals.
His stablemate Haatem finished a length and a quarter behind him in third at Newmarket and could complete the exacta.
Star juvenile filly Opera Singer makes her highly anticipated comeback in Sunday’s Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas (16h45) in a field of fourteen. The daughter of Justify is one of four runners for the Ballydoyle trainer, who also saddles Buttons, Everlasting and Pearls And Rubies.
Ryan Moore retains the ride aboard Opera Singer, a 5-length winner of the Gr1 Marcel Boussac, who skipped Newmarket for this Classic.
French 1,000 Guineas third Vespertilio also stood her ground for Irish trainer Willie McCreery, but with none of the fillies who placed at Newmarket in the field a chance is taken on the Paddy Twomey pair to serve it up to the Ballydoyle ace.
The unbeaten Harry Angel filly Lilac Rolla has shown plenty of guts and class so far in her short career of three starts and must be respected together with her larger stablemate Purple Lily the mount of stable jockey, Billy Lee.
The daughter of Calyx easily beat the colts on her penultimate start before being narrowly denied over 10-furlongs by the highly rated Ezeliya.
