Twelve colts will contest the Gr1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday at the Curragh, scheduled to start at 16h20.
The Jessica Harrington trained Lucky Vega has been priced up as favourite at around 5/2.
This son of Lope de Vega may well be up to the task after finishing strongly for a half-length third behind Poetic Flare in the Guineas at Newmarket earlier this month. The trainer stated that “It’s all systems go” and her only concern was the predicted soft ground.
Jim Bolger’s winner Poetic Flare, then travelled to Longchamp a week later to contest the French Guineas. The Dawn Approach colt could only manage to finish sixth to St Mark’s Basilica and as a result is a 5/1 chance this weekend.
Aidan O’Brien chasing a twelfth win in the Gr1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas
Winning jockey Kevin Manning retains the ride, whilst the stable also run Mac Swiney. A winner on heavy ground in the Gr1 Vertum Futurity Trophy at Doncaster as a juvenile, this son of New Approach is also respected.
Aidan O’Brien, chasing a twelfth win in this race is represented by Battleground, Van Gogh and Wembley. They all were unplaced behind Poetic Flare when making their seasonal appearances in the English 2000 Guineas.
A change of going from good to firm to the likely soft conditions over the weekend may bring about the major improvement needed to be involved in the finish. Retained jockey Ryan Moore stays aboard Wembley who finished behind Van Gogh in that event.
Charlie Appleby saddles La Barrosa for Godolphin, whose last start was in the Gr3 bet365 Craven Stakes over a mile at Newmarket in April. He finished a close second, beaten three-quarters of a length by his stable companion Master of The Seas. The winner then contested the 2000 Guineas and split Poetic Flare and Lucky Vega in a three-way photo finish. William Buick takes the ride.
There are still eighteen fillies declared for the Gr1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas on Sunday. The English 1000 Guineas form is represented by Fev Rover for Richard Fahey. This daughter of Gutaifan stayed on well to be beaten just over a length by the winner Mother Earth.
A general ante post 9/2 third favourite for Sunday’s race she is the sole English trained runner. She should be suited by the underfoot conditions having won a Gr2 in France last season on heavy going.
Joan of Arc is the form standout from the Aidan O’Brien stable who have a further three runners declared at this stage. This daughter of Galileo has won at the course and over the distance earlier this season and has been priced up the ante post 2/1 favourite.
Shale a Gr1 winning juvenile when beating Pretty Gorgeous by three-quarters of a length at this course over 1400m is trained by Donnacha O’Brien.
Another daughter of the mighty Galileo, she had a much needed come back run at Leopardstown last month. The trainer is hoping the ground is not too soft for this filly.
Joseph O’Brien has a strong hand with five fillies nominated including Pretty Gorgeous who has the highest official rating in the field. Sired by Lawman, this filly won the Gr1 bet365 Fillies’ Mile at a soft Newmarket last season.
She makes her belated reappearance this year after being ruled out of the Newmarket 1000 Guineas due to an unsatisfactory scope.
Earlier on this card, the champion three-year-old filly of last season Love could take her place in the Gr1 Tattersalls Gold Cup for four-year-olds and older over 2100m. Declarations are again not finalised, but the Ballydoyle battalion also includes Armory, Broome a three-time winner this season, Japan, Serpentine winner of last year’s English Derby, Tiger Moth and Mogul. Shamrock reporting…
