The Irish Guineas weekend began Friday night at the Curragh with a rather ordinary card but did include the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes. This ten-furlong race for three-year-olds attracted five runners and proved to be a very close affair. First past the post was Reyenzi who won a head but was disqualified for edging right and bumping the runner up Thrice trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Wayne Lordan. Ballydoyle were also represented by Shackleton who was sent off favourite under Ryan Moore who only managed fourth place.
On Saturday the Listed Orby Stakes was won comfortably by Trustyourinstinct for Joseph O’Brien and Dylan McMonagle for owner JP McManus. The Group 2 Greenlands Stakes over six furlongs saw a UK trained one-two as James’s Delight won a short head from Lethal Levi. The winner trained by Clive Cox just prevailed under Oisin Murphy from the Karl Burke trained runner up.
The feature Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas saw the runner up in the Uk equivalent Field Of Gold win well from a wide draw under Colin Keane for the Gosden’s. The runner up Cosmic Year was also a Juddmonte owned colt trained by Harry Charlton who was never going to get near the impressive winner. The fact the owners of the first two home Juddmonte used a pacemaker, Windlord to ensure a strongly run race made the difference here according to some rather than a different jockey to Kieron Shoemark. I tend to agree!
On Sunday the Marble Hill Stakes a Group 3 event for two-year-olds saw the promising Albert Einstein follow up his maiden success at Naas. The “Lads” look to have another good one on their hands here and O’Brien and Moore were both very complimentary post-race. The Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes saw the seasonal introduction of Porta Fortuna who won half a length for Donnacha O’Brien and Ryan Moore. Ascot next stop.
The Gold Cup saw Los Angeles take another Group 1 in a very deep race beating Anmaat, Kalpana and White Birch. Another one for the Ballydoyle winning machine.
Onto the Irish 1000 Guineas and it was more of the same as Lake Victoria won readily by over two lengths from the Amo Racing owned filly California Dreamer who made a real good effort to make all. The winner more than made up for her effort in the UK 1000 where she came home sixth of ten behind Desert Flower. She looks even more special now after taking Group 1 races at six furlongs, seven furlongs and a mile as a two-year-old. Remarkable.