Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas: runner-by-runner guide

The son of Dandy Man won his first two starts by wide margins last year. After landing the hugely valuable Tattersalls sales race at the Curragh by three and a half lengths, connections rolled the dice and ran him in the Dewhurst, where he finished sixth, almost five lengths behind winner Gewan.

His reappearance effort was a career best, making all to win the Greenham by a length from Zavateri and Albert Einstein.

He is yet to race beyond seven furlongs, so has stamina to prove, and though he shapes as if he could stay, he is unlikely to get the run of things again here up in class. He is though, progressive, and he clearly took to the track last season.

Twice-raced son of Sands Of Mali has some respectable form in the book but is up against it here making his first start outside of maiden company, and he is yet to get off the mark

Runner-up behind the Aidan O’Brien-trained Port Ferdinand on his sole start at two, he reappeared with another close second at Gowran two weeks ago, finishing a neck behind Johnny Murtagh’s Shaws Bay in a first-time hood.

dasdasasdzcxrewquytfasgdjkzvxbcmodogThe front two stretched well clear and he ran on strongly in the closing stages. On that evidence, this extra furlong should be no problem and he should break his maiden tag soon, but he is likely to be outclassed in this.

Godolphin’s beautifully-bred chestnut was sent off 3-1 joint-favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket but was disappointing in third, beaten nearly 11 lengths by Bow Echo and eight lengths by the re-opposing Gstaad.

His form is solid. He won a red-hot maiden at the July Course on debut last summer, beating Constitution River by a short-head, and also went on to land the Tattersalls Stakes by a wide margin at Newmarket and placed third in the Dewhurst at the same track.

Since his defeat at York last season when too keen, the €1.9 million breeze-up has raced much more professionally, but the jury is out as to how well he has trained on after his convincing defeat in the season’s opening Classic.

From the family of 1000 Guineas-placed Alice Springs, Flushing Meadows is likely to plenty of unforced errors from his opponents to land this.

A winner at the Curragh on debut over six furlongs, he was turned over at long odds-on in Group Three company on his second start and then again on his third start when beaten even further.

His reappearance in the Red Rocks Stakes at Leopardstown last month was not much better either, where was in the rear throughout and never looked like challenging, and he was last of five in the Dee Stakes at Chester two weeks ago.

Looks set for the role as pacemaker here for his odds-on stablemate should he line up.

From the in-form Joseph O’Brien yard, Go Just Do It looked a work in progress last year and is progressive, having gone one place better in each of his four runs to date since a fourth-placed finish behind New Zealand on debut here last July.

He then finished third behind Constitution River in the Group Three Futurity, also at the Curragh, on his second start, and after signing off his season with a runner-up spot back at the same track, he bolted up by four lengths in maiden company at Gowran on his reappearance last month.

This is far tougher and he is up a furlong in trip, but he is going the right way and is one of the more interesting outsiders.

The class act in the race, Gstaad was a high-class juvenile, winning three times, including at Royal Ascot and in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, and was a narrow second in his three defeats, all at Group One level, including here in the National Stakes.

Sent off the 3-1 joint-favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, he ran a blinder, having been positioned more prominently than the impressive winner but keeping on well once headed and pulling eight lengths clear of the rest.

It goes without saying that he would have been one of the most impressive Guineas winners in recent memory if George Boughey’s colt had not been in the race and given that rival is absent here, he is hard to oppose. Rated 120, he should be winning this if anywhere near that same level.

It’s a surprise to see Joseph O’Brien’s colt stepped back to a mile here. He did run well over a mile last year when he was given some tough assignments after breaking his maiden at the second attempt, including when chasing home Benvenuto Cellini and Puerto Rico, but always shaped as if middle distances would see him to better effect.

From the family of three-time Arc runner-up Youmzain, he won easily on his reappearance in a small-field conditions race and, although he was beaten in a Longchamp Group Three over an extended mile and a quarter last time, it looked as if the rattling fast ground may have beaten him rather than the distance.

Either way, a big step up will be needed here. Expect him to be ridden handily.

Improved with each run last season. A fifth-placed finish on debut over seven furlongs was followed by three consecutive wins over a mile, two over this course and distance, and then finally in the Group One Futurity Trophy at Doncaster where he made virtually every yard to beat Action and Benvenuto Cellini.

He was supposed to run in the Craven Stakes last month but was a late withdrawal due to the fast ground and instead ran at Chantilly at the beginning of the month where he again made all, winning by a length and a quarter in Group Three company.

He has had four different jockeys on board so far and has won in three different countries on Good, Heavy, and somewhere in between. He does, though, clearly need some juice in the ground to be seen at his best, but his odds of 40-1 underestimate his ability. He has stronger credentials than most in this field.

His dam, a dual Group One winner, was third in the Irish 1000 Guineas.

Neolithic was frustrating as a juvenile, finishing eighth on debut here last May and then seventh when beaten out of sight at Listowel the following month.

Out of nowhere though, he then got off the mark at Naas in July by three lengths when fitted with first-time cheekpieces, and an even better effort followed when third in the Gladness Stakes first time out this season. He finished under two lengths behind Big Gossey and ahead of Albert Einstein.

Another win followed at Gowran last month, before he managed a third in the Listed Tetrarch Stakes over the Guineas course and distance two and a half weeks ago.

That is probably his level, however, and this looks a tough task. He is another likely pace angle.

You won’t find many better looking horses in the line-up than the striking grey Pacific Avenue, a full-brother to the ill-fated Group winner Highland Avenue and out of the Group One Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Lumiere.

Charlie Appleby’s colt made the perfect start to his career when winning at Newmarket last June but has failed to get his head in front since, though he has been hugely consistent in seven subsequent starts.

He traded favourite in running when looking the likely winner of the Solario Stakes on his second start, only to somehow finish unplaced in fourth, but beaten just half a length by the winner.

The Royal Lodge and the Dewhurst were bridge too far, but he regained the winning thread at Doha over the winter and beat his well-fancied stablemate Talk Of New York when chasing home Title Role in the Jumeirah 2000 Guineas at Meydan in Februrary.

Beaten at odds-on in a Goodwood conditions race last time, there was no shame in being narrowly beaten by an unbeaten colt giving him weight and a more strongly run race is sure to aid his chances. It would though, be a surprise if he landed this – he has almost six lengths to find with Gstaad from their Newmarket clash in the autumn.

Winner of the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes over True Love last summer, that career best effort ended a campaign for Adrian Muray that saw him also finish fifth behind the re-opposing Gstaad in the Coventry Stakes.

Second in the Red Rocks Stakes when stepped beyond six furlongs for the first time on his reappearance, he shaped well on what was his first run for 246 days and connections then decided to roll the dice by running him in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

He seemingly had no excuses in finishing seventh so still has to answer the question as to whether he truly stays a mile and the suspicion is he will be seen to better effect over shorter, perhaps in the Commonwealth Cup next month.

The Niarchos-bred Take Charge Star was a comfortable winner of his second start last summer and was then pitched into the Goffs Million three weeks later where he didn’t need to improve to pick up €25,000 for finishing sixth.

He has four and a half lengths to find with Hardy Warrior here having chased him home at Naas in March, and given he could only manage fifth in a Listed race over this course and distance at the beginning of the month, this Group One assignment looks ambitious to say the least.

A really fascinating runner. The son of St Mark’s Basilica did not break his maiden tag until his fourth start having found one too good in his first three assignments, including when second in the Chesham.

He beat odds-on favourite Brussels to get off the mark and then proved he stayed a mile when fifth in the Group One Summer Stakes at Woodbine, where despite failing to settle, he finished fifth and was doing his best work at the finish.

Comfortably accounted for Power Blue in receipt of 3lb on his reappearance but was beaten comfortably by Gstaad and co when fifth in the Betfred 2000 Guineas, though take out the first two and this was a decent effort – he only finished a length and a half behind joint-favourite Distant Storm. Has an each-way chance, but likely to find Aidan O’Brien’s colt too strong again.