Irish 2000

Heading to the Curragh this afternoon for the Irish 2000 Guineas and hoping to spend a pleasant day in good company with the welcome improvement in the weather enhancing matters. The main feature is a very tight affair with many imponderables. Steinbeck looks to be the potential superstar in the field but one wonders if he will be fully primed today and furthermore, I am wary of supporting him at the price particularly as his career so far evokes that of Rip Van Winkle! Canford Cliffs is a smashing horse but I doubt if he will be at his best over the mile here, unless none of the Ballydoyle legions make it a true test. Aidan O'Brien's number two, Fencing Master, (ran well in the Dewhurst, but poorly in the English Guineas) along with Keredari (John Oxx) offer little value and look slightly below Group 1 standard. That leaves us again with Xtension (good run for our money at Newmarket), who I expect to be placed and with luck on the day may land the spoils for Clive Cox. He put in a solid effort for his first outing and although faltering slightly at the dip, he picked up again to run on strongly to suggest he will improve for the stiffer track.

The supporting card looks competitive with an interesting and hopefully informative 2yo race and a hot sprint where Velvet Flicker may go in again.

Across the water, there is a plethora of racing at a selection of top tracks including Goodwood, Haydock and York. It's probably not the day to be trying my luck with the Scoop 6 but one can hardly not be tempted by the bulging pot! Selections (for what it's worth) as follows:

1. Mac Gille Eoin, Parisian Pyramid, 2. Balducci, Huygens, 3. Perpetually, 4. Equiano, 5. Aajel, 6. Discanti

Good luck and enjoy....