William Hill ambassador Jane Mangan is here with selections for Irish Guineas weekend.
Curragh, Saturday
We kick off the weekend with a six-furlong maiden. Aidan O’Brien has a strong record in the race (1:20pm), having won the last two renewals with Henri Matisse and Unquestionable. It’s notable that Ryan Moore opts for newcomer Brussels over Kansas, who ran a promising race on debut. Brussels looks to have immense potential – his breeding is top class, and when Ryan Moore is booked, you must take notice. Aidan O’Brien often introduces a good one here – Brussels will do for me.
The Listed Orby Stakes (1:55pm) over a mile and a half is an intriguing affair. Magical Hope arrives here on her first run for Paddy Twomey. She’s won three of her six starts between a mile and 11 furlongs, and this marks her first attempt at a mile and a half. She attracted a big fee at the sales last December, and given the trainer’s record with new recruits, she must be taken seriously. Her opposition look exposed, and I think there’s more to come from Magical Hope – she’s the one for me.
The handicap over a mile and a quarter (2:30pm) looks ultra-competitive. I really like Cloud Seeker for the Slatterys. He received a four-pound rise for his Leopardstown win last time, which looks fair. He reeled off four wins on the bounce at the back end of last season, and I’m convinced there’s more improvement to come. This race was won last year by Crystal Black, who went on to win at Royal Ascot. He won that day off a mark of 98 – I think Cloud Seeker’s mark of 88 is exploitable, and he still has more to offer.
The Group Two Greenlands Stakes over six furlongs (3:05pm) has gone to the UK for the last three years, and they look strongly represented again with four of the nine declared runners. However, there is no more intriguing runner this week than Storm Boy. He was beaten just two lengths into eighth on his final start in Australia in The Everest at Randwick. While he doesn’t have a Group One win in Australia, we know the Aussie sprinters are a cut above. He’s not far off top class arriving to Ireland, and I think he’ll prove far too good here. I can see him laying down a serious challenge to the entire sprinting division on Saturday.
The Irish 2000 Guineas (3:40pm) looks a proper race. John Gosden came here in 2014 after Kingman was unlucky in defeat at Newmarket, and I think history is going to repeat itself. Much has been made of Field Of Gold’s run in the 2000 Guineas – I believe if the race were run again, he would win. He’s my idea of the winner here, and I think he’ll gain revenge under Colin Keane.
That said, I do fancy one each-way in the field in Rashabar. He looks good value to me – he’s never been out of the top three in his six starts. He was narrowly beaten in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère, going down by a neck to Camille Pissarro. The form is strong – Field Of Gold was fourth, and the French 2000 Guineas winner Henri Matisse was fifth. That’s serious form, and I think Rashabar is overpriced – he’s a strong each-way play.
The penultimate race on Saturday is a seven-furlong handicap (5:25pm), and I like East Hampton. He got a seven-pound rise for his win at Naas last time, where he beat Wizard Of Odds. I feel there’s more to come from this lightly raced three-year-old. His profile suggests improvement is forthcoming, and being by Cracksman implies he’ll progress with age. Seven pounds is a fair hike, but I don’t think it will stop East Hampton from going back-to-back.
Curragh, Sunday
We kick off Sunday with a pair of Group races, the Marble Hill Stakes (1:55pm) and the Lanwades Stud Stakes (2:30pm). Both races are likely to feature two very short-priced favourites in Albert Einstein and Porta Fortuna. Albert Einstein announced himself in no uncertain terms at Naas; I think he could be one of the best two-year-olds in Europe. Porta Fortuna is one of the world’s best fillies—she’s won three Group Ones and never really got the credit she deserved. She’s a specialist at this trip, and with Ryan Moore booked, I can’t oppose her. I’d double them up—simple as that, right?
The Tattersalls Gold Cup (3:05pm) has never been a race that has particularly excited me, but when White Birch took down Auguste Rodin last year, it produced a brilliant contest. This year looks even better. I think Los Angeles is one of the best horses in training anywhere in the world—he will be a real force wherever he goes this season. He really impressed me on seasonal debut when beating White Birch, especially having looked like he might need the run. If that performance is anything to go by, I think he’ll put that rival away again and beat the rest of the field too.
It might be as simple as Lake Victoria turning up and winning the Irish 1000 Guineas (3:40pm) on Sunday, but I don’t think it will be that straightforward. She was a star two-year-old, but now she needs to prove it at three. I think the dark horse in the race is Swelter. Dermot Weld has won this race six times, including twice in the past two years. Swelter won the exact same trial that Homeless Songs did before her Irish 1000 Guineas triumph. This filly beat Exactly, who franked the form with a strong run in the Pouliches in Paris. Swelter could spring a surprise here.
The handicap over a mile (4:15pm) has attracted nine runners, and I like Shiota. She received a seven-pound rise after winning over this distance at Naas, beating Mississippi River, who has since run well. She went off at 33/1 that day—I doubt she’ll be that big on Sunday after the manner of that win. Gary Carroll has stayed loyal, and I think she’ll be hard to beat.
The maiden over ten furlongs (5:25pm) looks like a good opportunity for Mittens. She made a promising start at Naas over this trip last month, finishing with a flourish after meeting trouble in running. I think she can close the card in style.
