Tag Archive for: Irish 2000 Guineas

Monday Musings: Galloping Through The Classics

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Four weeks after the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and seven days after the Irish 2000 Guineas, with all the recognised trials sorted in between, we come on Saturday to Derby Day, writes Tony Stafford.

It’s as early as it can be, and for those stables yet to strike form, it’s always a frightening thought that within 46 days of what most professionals believe is the true starting point of the 2024 turf season – day one of Newmarket’s Craven meeting – we will have knocked off four-fifths of the UK Classic complement.

We’ve had Chester, Lingfield, the French 2000 and 1000 Guineas, York and the two Irish Guineas this past weekend. Sometimes we get the odd one coming on to Epsom for the Derby or Oaks from the two Irish Guineas races. Realistically, though, with the races only one week apart, it seems an abrupt tactic to switch from one mile up the Curragh to the 12 furlongs with its twists, gradients, and cambers of the Derby course.

In times gone by there was also Goodwood, a three-day midweek fixture, following on from York’s Dante meeting.  In 1979 Major Dick Hern had two fancied runners at Epsom, the Queen’s Milford, and Sir Michael Sobell’s Troy, with stable jockey Willie Carson staying loyal to the latter – seen as traitorous in some parts.

Troy had begun his three-year-old season with a narrow win in the Classic Trial at Sandown, a performance that Hern thought needed another race to bring him to the boil. To wait for the Predominate Stakes, Goodwood’s colts’ trial, was reckoned in most quarters to be a risky policy, with so short a time between that race and the Derby.

Nowadays, Goodwood’s two Listed races for three-year-olds, one for colts/geldings and the other for fillies, are both staged on the same day as they were on Saturday. At first glance, the narrow win of Meydaan, third behind Ambiente Friendly in the Lingfield Derby Trial, might have been regarded as a boost for the form. I didn’t see the race live so took that as evidence backing my recent excessive praise for the Lingfield success of the James Fanshawe colt.

However, a review of the race replay told me otherwise. At least two in the seven-horse field could have finished much nearer. Space Legend, the William Haggas-trained favourite after two promising runs, was a fast-closing second after extricating himself from crowding and could almost certainly have won had he been able to start his challenge a little earlier. More worryingly for the form, fourth home Lavender Hill Mob also might have finished much closer.

This Michael Bell horse is rated a modest 79 having won a handicap last time. It’s hard to see how Meydaan, always in the clear on Saturday, deserves to go higher than his present 97. There’s no realistic scope for an Ambiente Friendly upward rating adjustment in tomorrow’s listings. I thought he ran a brilliant race at Lingfield, but yesterday morning, Rab Havlin, who will be replacing his Lingfield winning jockey Callum Shepherd this week, was worrying about the chance of soft ground at Epsom. “He has such a daisy-cutting action”, said Havlin, after working on Newmarket’s Limekilns yesterday.

Nowadays, the Predominate, downgraded some time ago to a Listed race, is known as the Cocked Hat Stakes and I think yesterday’s form could be put in a cocked hat! In 1979, Troy won that race by seven lengths and followed up by an identical margin in a devastating performance at Epsom. He ended as Racehorse of the Year, despite not matching his best form when third in the Arc having won the Juddmonte at York in August.

The old timers always used to say, fourth in the Guineas, first in the Derby, and as Paul Cole would be quick to remind us, that was the route taking by his and Faad Salman’s Generous in 1991. This year’s fourth, the Clive Cox-trained, Jeff-Smith-owned Ghostwriter does have a Derby entry – the Irish version at the end of next month.

He, along with the first three home at Newmarket, headed up by Godolphin’s impressive winner Notable Speech, has the one-mile St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot as the next step on the agenda.

There is already some serious Classic solidity to the Newmarket form with Rosallion and Haatem, respectively second and third for Richard Hannon behind Notable Speech, making it a stable one-two in the Irish Classic on Saturday.

The only defeated horse in the 2000 Guineas expected to be running at Epsom – we can still have a surprise supplementary today - is the present favourite City Of Troy. He was a humbled ninth of eleven at Newmarket, 17 lengths behind the winner.

Since last week’s words here, Economics, the runaway Dante winner at York for William Haggas, has not been supplemented for the Derby, his wishes, probably reluctantly, acceded to by his owners.

With River Tiber finishing just behind the Hannon pair in third on Saturday, at least there is a semblance of hope for anyone with long-standing vouchers on City Of Troy for the Derby. There’s no doubt that he has always stood far above his stable-mates at Ballydoye. Interestingly, the one reason I’ve heard Aidan O’Brien giving for the flop last time is: “I treated him too much like a god over the winter.” Even God will have had to do some proper work, maybe even on Sundays, since!

O’Brien of course also had the top juvenile filly of 2023 in Opera Singer, a status guaranteed by her victory in the Prix Marcel Boussac on Arc Day at Longchamp last autumn. Like City Of Troy, she is by unbeaten US Triple Crown winner Justify, and all the assumptions as to her and her stablemate’s stamina possibilities are presumably based on Justify’s 12-furlong win in the Belmont Stakes, third leg of the US Triple Crown.

If City Of Troy comes back as Auguste Rodin did in last year’s Derby, it would still be no guarantee of champion racehorse status at the end of the season. Economics has the imminent target of the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot, a race that has projected its winner to stardom in the past. Shareef Dancer, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, had a quick follow-up in the Irish Derby back in the 1980’s.

There are four of the six horses outclassed by Economics still entered before today’s five-day stage. Ancient Wisdom and War Rooms were second and third at York, and victory for either would propel Economics into the “unbeatable” firmament – just as last year’s Dewhurst romp did for City Of Troy. I will leave the predictions and the talking to the horses on Saturday – I’ve had more than enough to say already. I’m just hoping for a clean race and a worthy winner.

To show that unpredictability in racing at Classic level is not exclusively for these shores, yesterday’s Japanese Derby (Tokyo Yushun) carried a winner’s prize of more than £1.8 million. Hot favourite at 6/5 was the previously unbeaten Japanese 2000 Guineas winner Justin Milano, but he had to give best in the straight to two-length winner Danon Decile, who started at 46/1!

- TS



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Rosallion edges out Haatem for Irish Guineas gold

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Rosallion led home stablemate Haatem to give Richard Hannon a Classic one-two in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

The colts were second and third respectively in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in early May, with Charlie Appleby’s Notable Speech something of a shock winner.

Sean Levey took the ride on Rosallion, the 10-11 favourite, but in the closing stages Haatem looked to be cruising home under Jamie Spencer.

A swift turn of foot from the favourite changed the complexion of the race in the final strides, however, and it was Rosallion who was victorious by a head with River Tiber taking third, beaten a further length and a quarter.

“I’m delighted, both of them have run a super race,” said Hannon.

Rosallion (right) closing in on Haatem
Rosallion (right) closing in on Haatem (Damien Eagers/PA)

“Rosallion was a bit keen early and Haatem is such a brave horse, he’s run such a lovely race and I’ve never known a horse to have as many supporters as he has. He probably didn’t deserve to get beat but his day will come.

“Rosallion, I’m absolutely delighted with him, I couldn’t be happier.

“He took a bit of time to pick them up. He’s such a hyped horse and he’s not going to please everybody. He proved he got the trip today and that was the pleasing thing.

“We’ll go to the St James’s Palace Stakes and try our best to beat the horse that beat us last time. It will be hard.”

Betfair made Rosallion the 7-4 favourite from 3-1 for the St James’s Palace at Royal Ascot, where he will likely meet Notable Speech again.

Of Haatem, who is likely to step up in trip, Hannon added: “I love the second horse, he’s such a smashing horse and it’s a pleasure to have him. I’m delighted with him.

“Haatem has probably run the race of his life. This is a Guineas, they go on about how it’s not a vintage Guineas but all the best horses had their chance and these two have run smashing races.

“I think he’ll (Haatem) get further and will discuss it with the Sheikh (Abdullah Almalek Alsabah, owner) and the team and see where we go, but there are a lot of lovely days in him. I’d love to think they’ll both stay in training next year, please!

“There is so much work that goes into these, there is a big team at home and I’m really pleased. These days are very rare and we’re going to enjoy it.

“I’m delighted for Sean, for Sheikh Mohammed Obaid (Rosallion’s owner) and Sheikh Abdullah will be delighted with his horse as he lost nothing in defeat, if anything he’s probably earned more fans and his day will come.”

Sean Levey following victory aboard Rosallion
Sean Levey following victory aboard Rosallion (Damien Eagers/PA)

Levey, who had felt his former partner Haatem would be the biggest threat to Rosallion, added: “I always thought it was going to be a bit like that. The only horse that presented pace in the race was one of ours.

“I thought he would be hard beat here today, so I knew when I got to him he had just done everything right for himself and he has dragged me to the line, so he has had to work hard to get by him.

“My lad can get a bit generous if you put him in a position where he has to be competitive, so the only thing I could do was take (him) out of it.

“I was confident I was going to get him (Haatem), especially that last bit where he is climbing all the time.

Of Hannon, the rider added: “He is absolutely brilliant to ride for, like his father before him. We work really well together because he doesn’t tell me anything!

“I think his view is that he has done the training and the riding is completely up to me. If I get it wrong, don’t get me wrong, my head is on the chopping block!

“Fingers crossed, hopefully Ascot is the next step.”

River Tiber had to settle for third
River Tiber had to settle for third (Damien Eagers/PA)

River Tiber pleased trainer Aidan O’Brien, though the run did not answer any questions over his ideal trip, with stablemate Unquestionable in fourth and Mountain Bear in seventh.

“I was delighted. I would probably have preferred if it was a more end-to-end gallop, we’d have learned about the mile better,” O’Brien said of River Tiber.

“We still don’t know if he really gets a mile or not. We have a choice to make now in Ascot, do we go back to six, do we go seven or do we go St James’s Palace.

“Ryan wants to go to the Jersey because he wants Henry (Longfellow) for the St James’s Palace, he’s trying to divide them all!

“Maybe he’ll get his way but it’ll depend on what the lads want to do.

“He probably has loads of speed, which we knew he had. He never ran beyond six before and it was hard to ride him any more forward.

“He did what we thought, he was better than Unquestionable. Unquestionable will improve plenty because he got tired, which we thought he would as well.

“It’s going to be interesting if they all meet in the St James’s Palace, it’s whether he goes to that or the Jersey.”



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Hannon happy with Irish 2,000 Guineas contenders

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Richard Hannon appears to hold all the aces in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas with Rosallion and Haatem aiming to atone for their near-misses at Newmarket.

The colts filled the minor placings behind Notable Speech in the English equivalent three weeks ago and with Charlie Appleby deciding to keep the winner’s powder dry until the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot, they set the standard.

Rosallion was a Group One winner in France at two, with the reopposing Unquestionable behind him, while Haatem won the Craven Stakes on his return to action this season and proved that was no fluke at Newmarket.

“They’ve both come out of Newmarket well and I’m happy with them,” said Hannon.

“I’d like to think they are both going to the Curragh with great chances on their Newmarket runs and we just have to hope they travel over well and everything goes right for them, but we are looking forward to it.

“Both horses worked earlier in the week and pleased me. It’s good to be going back to the Curragh with two nice colts in a Guineas.”

As usual, Aidan O’Brien holds a strong hand, but with City Of Troy heading for the Derby and Henry Longfellow having run in the French Guineas a week after Newmarket, he perhaps fields a less-heralded team than usual.

However, they are still high-class colts, as River Tiber won the Coventry Stakes last term, while Unquestionable and Mountain Bear were first and second at the Breeders’ Cup.

River Tiber won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot
River Tiber won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

“Everything has gone well with River Tiber, obviously we were trying to split them all up and start in different races,” said O’Brien.

“He was in Navan the other day and everything was good, so the plan is to start him in the Irish Guineas and hopefully go from there.

“It was just an away day, Ryan (Moore) rode him and was very happy with him.

“We think a mile is within his compass, not guaranteed. We just thought we’d start there and if he didn’t get it, he would go back for the Commonwealth Cup or something like that, he’s not short of speed.”

He went on: “Unquestionable might not be as forward as River Tiber, but the plan is to start him there with a view of going to Ascot after that.

“He had a little blip a couple of weeks ago, he’s back in full swing again, but he did have it and because of that he might improve a little bit more from the Curragh than River Tiber.”

Joseph O’Brien runs Atlantic Coast, a Group Three winner last year but well beaten on his return, while Andy Oliver is represented by Bright Stripes, winner of the Tetrarch Stakes last time out.

Jack Davison’s Take Me To Church completes the field.



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Hannon duo ready to chase Classic compensation at the Curragh

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Rosallion and Haatem will be vying for Guineas compensation at the Curragh after taking the second- and third-placed spots in the Newmarket edition of the race.

Both colts are trained by Richard Hannon and gained significant reputations as juveniles, with Haatem taking the Group Two Vintage Stakes at Goodwood and Rosallion landing the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere in record time at ParisLongchamp.

Every 2000 Guineas contender came into the race in the shadow of City Of Troy, however, with Aidan O’Brien’s previously unbeaten colt spoken of with the utmost reverence after his flawless two-year-old season.

That bubble was sharply burst when he failed to run any sort of a race, and it was Charlie Appleby’s Notable Speech who came to the fore to turn his all-weather form into Classic success for Godolphin.

Rosallion ran admirably behind him in second, beaten a length and a half, and Haatem was vindicated when following his rather dismissed Craven triumph with a third-placed effort at odds of 16-1.

Now both of Hannon’s colts will take aim at the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday, locking horns again having taken their Newmarket exertions well.

“I’m very happy with both of them, they’ve come out of the race really well,” the trainer said.

“Both of them have worked well yesterday and now they’re on target for the Curragh.

“They did run very good races at Newmarket, both of them did, and this is hopefully a chance for them to get some compensation.”

Royal Ascot is likely to come into focus after the weekend, though the two colts will not necessarily meet at that fixture as a step up in trip could beckon for Haatem.

“I don’t think they will (cross paths), Haatem after this might go up to a mile and a quarter,” Hannon confirmed.



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Paddington bears fruit in Irish Guineas

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Paddington made a seamless switch to Classic company as he gave trainer Aidan O’Brien another victory in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Having begun his season in handicap company off a mark of 97, Paddington won the Tetrarch Stakes next time before being pitched into the Guineas.

Ryan Moore was keen to grab an early position on the 3-1 victor and settled just behind Oisin Murphy on Hi Royal, the surprise runner up in the Newmarket Guineas.

For a brief spell it appeared as if Murphy was keeping a bit up his sleeve as Moore got down into the drive position, but with half a furlong left to run, Paddington began to gain the upper hand.

He leaned in briefly on Hi Royal, but he was already in command and as Hi Royal began to weaken it was the winner’s stablemate Cairo who made late gains from the rear to claim second, beaten two lengths.

Royal Scotsman was sent off the 6-4 favourite but never looked like getting involved as O’Brien claimed a 12th victory in the race, although it was his first since Churchill in 2017.

The winner is now the 4-1 second favourite for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot with Coral, who have Newmarket winner Chaldean as the 11-8 market leader.

“We went to Ascot first time (at two) with him and he was very babyish. Then he came back and won a maiden very easily here with Seamus (Heffernan),” said O’Brien.

“He wintered very well and we were very happy with him in the spring. He ended up in the Madrid (Handicap) on a lovely mark, it was a lovely place to start him as it was over seven furlongs, even though the ground was soft.

“Then he came back here and won the Tetrarch in soft ground again, so we weren’t really sure about the ground with him. Obviously he’s a Siyouni out of a Montjeu mare. He was always a beautiful mover but you are never sure until they do it.

“Seamus loved him the last day and he had been doing everything really nice since. He’s a fine, big horse and is maturing very well. He’s very good looking.

“He was a little bit slow away, but Ryan got his position very quickly on him and he didn’t light him up to do it. He’s a very exciting horse.”

When asked if the St James’ Palace could be next, he added: “What we always do is we go home and give them a week or 10 days and then the lads discuss it with Ryan and everyone else before deciding where they would like to go.

“That looks like the natural progression for him though, because he doesn’t look short of speed, even though he will get further in time.”

He went on: “He missed the break and where he was, if he had stayed there it could have been a very dangerous position because he would have been at the mercy of the race.

“Ryan went out with the mindset that he’d ride his own horse and it didn’t matter where anyone else was going to be, he was going to be happy to make the running or do whatever.

“He had great confidence in him but that split second decision when he made that move very quickly to have that position, without lighting up the horse, made all the difference.

“He travelled like a dream and when he asked him he did quicken, but he’s still a little bit of a baby and he probably would have learned a lot today quickening on that ground.”



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Donnacha O’Brien sets out Irish 2,000 Guineas goal for Proud And Regal

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Proud And Regal is set to come back in trip for the Irish 2,000 Guineas, with trainer Donnacha O’Brien looking to the Betfred Derby with Dee Stakes runner-up Alder.

A son of Galileo, Proud And Regal won three of his five starts as a juvenile – which included the Group One Criterium International at Saint-Cloud – and was third to Sprewell in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown on his return.

A general 33-1 chance for the Derby, his Ballyroe handler felt Proud And Regal showed enough speed for the mile of the Tattersalls-sponsored Irish Guineas on Saturday week.

“I thought the winner won very well,” said O’Brien. “It was kind of a hard race to read. I came away scratching my head a little bit, but the more I saw it, I think we’re going to step him back down in trip for the Irish Guineas.

“I thought he travelled really well. There’s definitely a chance that he will get 10 furlongs and we could be going back there after the Guineas, but the plan is to go to the Curragh for the Irish Guineas.”

Given his pedigree, by champion three-year-old Galileo, who was a dual Derby and King George winner, Proud And Regal is bred to get a mile and a half.

He won on heavy ground at Saint-Cloud over a mile, but O’Brien is uncertain whether the 10-furlong trip at Leopardstown suited.

He said: “I wasn’t sure.

“There is a chance he will definitely be going back up in trip, but two-year-old races are a lot different than older horse races. You can get away with an inadequate distance a lot more at two than you can at three.

“We’ll see how he comes out of the race, but the plan is to go to the Curragh.”

Alder, who was beaten a length and three-quarters by the Aidan O’Brien-trained San Antonio, will be heading to Epsom.

The son of Australia is a 25-1 chance with Betfred for Epsom glory.

O’Brien confirmed: “We’re aiming at the Epsom Derby. I think it is an open race. I think he got in a poor position at Chester off a very slow pace, on ground he wouldn’t like, and he just hung in behind the winner in the last furlong.

“But I think it was a very decent run from him. We think he’s a good horse and he’s going to be a much better horse on better ground over a mile and a half.”

Donnacha O’Brien (centre) seeks Group One glory with Piz Badile
Donnacha O’Brien (centre) seeks Group One glory with Piz Badile (Niall Carson/PA)

Piz Badile, who was runner-up in last season’s Irish Derby before a somewhat disappointing run when seven lengths behind Onesto in the Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp, will bid to break his Group One duck at the Curragh on Sunday week.

He made his return from a 10-month absence when a three-length third to Visualisation in the Group Two Mooresbridge at the Curragh two weeks ago.

“The plan is to go to the Tattersalls Gold Cup on Guineas weekend,” O’Brien added. “Again, I thought it was a very adequate comeback from him.

“It was a mess of a race. They went very slow, so the plan is to go to there and there’s a chance he could be going back to a mile and a half after that, but we’ll see.

“He was probably a little bit backward at two and three. He ran very well in the Irish Derby and then he went to France, which was another case of a typical French race that didn’t suit him.

“I thought his comeback was a good run. When things do go right for him, then I think we’ll get a feel for whether he is going to be proper Group One horse, but I just don’t think he has had the chance to show if he is.”



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