Gstaad leads Irish 2,000 guinea field at Curragh
Gstaad will face nine rivals in Saturday’s Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh as Aidan O’Brien’s colt looks to go one better than his run at the Newmarket Classic.
The son of Star Spangled Banner has yet to finish outside the top two in his career and arrives in Ireland after returning home Arc Echo in the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, where he was beaten by two and three-quarter lengths.
This race comes after a brilliant youth campaign, capped by victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He now enjoys solid favorite status as O’Brien targets a record 13th victory in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and a first since 2023.
Aidan O’Brien duo lead Ballydoyle challenge
Gstaad will be joined by a stablemate Neolithicwho has won two of his six career starts. However, Falcon Mountainwho extended his winning streak in the Group 3 Prix de Guiche at Chantilly, was not declared.
Charlie Appleby will count on Distant stormthird behind Gstaad at Newmarket. The Godolphin runner, winner of last season’s Group 3 Somerville Tattersalls Stakes, finished eight lengths behind Gstaad in the classic and now has another chance to close the gap.
Buick suspension opens the door for Loughnane
With William Buick serving a six-day suspension for misuse of the whip on Caballo De Mar in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot, Billy Loughnane goes around Distant Storm. Jamie Spencer Partner of Appleby’s other runner, Pacific Avenue.
Karl Burke, who has made a good start to the season and has already passed the £1 million mark in Britain, sends alparslan. The Greenham Stakes winner is one of the most interesting challengers at double-digit odds.
The secret adversaryfifth in the Newmarket 2000 Guineas and Group 3 winner, is also trying his luck in a race that promises to focus on whether anything can seriously disrupt Gstaad.
Experienced runners and riders
| Horse | Jockey |
|---|---|
| alparslan | Sam James |
| Bamako Beach | Colin Keane |
| Distant storm | Billy Loughnane |
| Come on, do it | Dylan Browne McMonagle |
| Gstaad | Ryan Moore |
| Neolithic | Wayne Lordan |
| Pacific Avenue | Jamie Spencer |
| Blue power | David Egan |
| Support star | Ben Coen |
| The secret adversary | Sami Heffernan |
Bet on Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas
Race: Irish Tattersalls 2,000 guineas
Time: 3:40 p.m.
Track: Curragh
Date: SATURDAY
- 4-9 Gstaad
- 4-1 Distant storm
- 8-1 The secret adversary
- 12-1 alparslan
- 33-1 Blue power
- 40-1 Come on, do it
- 50-1 Bamako Beach
- 66-1 Neolithic
- 66-1 Pacific Avenue
- 100-1 Support star
Verdict
Gstaad sets a clear standard in form and brings the strongest Classic profile into racing. Distant Storm has some ground to make up, while Thesecretadversary and Alparslan seem to be the more interesting back-and-forth alternatives. However, if Gstaad reaches the level of Newmarket, they are likely to take a lot of hits.
Prediction: Gstaad victorious, with Alparslan able to exceed his predictions.
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