Gstaad is too good for his Irish 2000 Guineas rivals
Gstaad - won the Irish 2000 Guineas

Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas: Gstaad too good for rivals


Gstaad was far too good for his rivals in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Ryan Moore sat handy on Aidan O’Brien’s charge, who finished second to Bow Echo in the Newmarket equivalent at the start of the month, before sweeping past the front-running Alparslan entering the final furlong.

The 4/11 favourite was soon clear and hit the line three lengths ahead of the Godolphin pair of Distant Storm and Pacific Avenue.

Paddy Power and Sky Bet cut the winner to 9/4 from 3/1 for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot.

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The winning rider told Racing TV: "It was very straightforward. We didn't go that quick early but he began very quickly, a couple went forward and he was able to coast upside them and he's got such a big, extravagant action he just takes a while to get really opened up and to use it and once he's done that, he was impressive.

"It was just getting him organised and getting him flowing, roll on to Ascot I say.

"You would hope that he is progressing. The horse that won at Newmarket was very impressive on the day so we have our work cut out. You could say it wasn't a strongly run race today, he's beat Distant Storm not quite as far but different track, different conditions, different time of year and our lad is hopefully still going forwards - I think he is - and I think Ascot will suit him."

Celebration time for the Gstaad team

O'Brien added: "He had a lovely draw and he's the type of horse you can make the running on him, you can give him a chance, and where Ryan was, he was delighted to get company, he had a clean run and if they were going to overtake him, he was happy to get a lead and, if not, he was happy to do his own thing so it was very straightforward really.

"He is lazy, he takes a little bit of time to open up in the middle of the race and he did that again but Ryan gave him a lovely, uncomplicated ride.

"He had done very well since Newmarket physically, he ran a bit heavier today than he did at Newmarket. He's a lovely horse, we always felt that he would get further and he will whenever he needs to but I'd imagine the lads will want to go to the St James's [Palace] with him; he won the Coventry there so he will love the track we think and we're looking forward to it."

Can he close gap on Bow Echo?

"Newmarket he had to plough a lone furrow all the way straight up there and when he got a little bit lonely, he went right. The winner is obviously a very good horse but he had cover the first half and he came out on the stands' rail and quickened and it's always an advantage at Newmarket to be there, when all of us were going right he was staying in so we'd look forward to it," he added.

"We'd love if he went there and if the French horse could go there and we'd run Puerto Rico and I think the lads would let this horse run as well so it would be a proper race and that's what you want to see."


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