Curragh weekend preview: Fran Berry preview

By Fran Berry

15:42 · SAT May 25, 2024

It’s wonderful to see Richard Hannon bringing over his Newmarket second and third, Rosallion and Haatem, for Saturday’s Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas.

He’s bidding to win the race for the first time as a trainer but the stable have been great supporters of the track and these Classics over the years, his father winning the Classic with Don’t Forget Me, Tirol and Canford Cliffs.

Rosallion sets a very good standard. He could have run into one of the best winners of the Newmarket race for a few years in Notable Speech.

I loved the way the Hannon horse travelled there behind his pacemaker and he looked like he saw the mile out well as he chased the winner through the final furlong. He'd finished strongly to win his Group One in France over seven furlongs at two and has definitely trained on.

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Jamie Spencer rides Haatem and he knows this track very well. I just wonder if he might look to make the running too and repeat the tactics that saw him land the race aboard Phoenix Of Spain five years ago.

The reasoning behind that is I'm not convinced the Ballydoyle team would necessarily want an end-to-end gallop for their two big runners.

It’s fascinating to see River Tiber back, stepping up to a mile and with Ryan Moore riding. He found Vandeek too quick over six furlongs twice last season but this is a step up in trip for him and I’m not sure they’d want it to be a real stamina test.

That’s also the case for Questionable. While he won at the trip over at the Breeders’ Cup last term, he is reported to have a missed a bit of time this spring and could improve from the run.

It might be Spencer from the front aboard Haatem, but I think Rosallion will still come out on top.

If the dead eight all run then the one I’d put up at a price is the top horse Atlantic Coast at 50/1. He might be an each-way bet or play in the place market as he looked like he’d make into a good three-year-old last season and ran as if he needed his return.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and all eyes are on Opera Singer.

She was flawless in her final two runs of last season, winning a Group Three at the Curragh before landing the Prix Marcel Boussac in tremendous style on Arc day.

Opera Singer powers clear under Ryan Moore

I thought she looked the sort to progress physically from two to three but she was forced to miss the British 1000 after a setback. It’s great she’s ready to go now and while she might just improve for the run, her best on the day could still be good enough.

Fallen Angel is a threat on her two-year-old form but has to leave a dull reappearance at Newmarket behind her and prove she’s trained on.

She beat Vespertilio in the Moyglare Stud Stakes last term but might struggle to confirm form with that rival after she ran a cracker from a wide draw in the French 1000 on her own return.

Outside of those three, the main challengers seem to come from the Paddy Twomey yard which is a growing force in the big races in Ireland.

He runs A Lilac Rolla and Purple Lilly and I find it fascinating that Billy Lee has opted to ride the latter.

She drops down in trip after being outstayed by Ezeliya over ten furlongs at Navan last time. I think the winner that day is going to run a big race in the Betfred Oaks next week and with two runs under her belt this season, Purple Lilly looks the main danger to Opera Singer.

Keep an eye on Azada too. Dermot Weld has won the last two renewals of this race and it has to be significant he’s running this filly on only her second career start and seasonal reappearance. She looked very good in a Leopardstown maiden in the autumn.

By 3.45 on Sunday we’ll know how the weekend is shaping up for the Ballydoyle team and, if the vibes are strong for Opera Singer, she’ll probably win with Purple Lilly and Azada chasing her home.

Auguste Rodin wins the Breeders' Cup Turf

The final Group One of the weekend is the Tattersalls Gold Cup.

For the third time in his career Auguste Rodin is looking to bounce back from a dismal effort on his previous start. We now know when he’s good he’s very good – but when he’s bad he’s terrible.

Given the stable’s horses were really taking a run in March and April, it would be no surprise at all if he was a completely different proposition at the weekend.

He’s been given time to get over it, Aidan will have him at peak fitness now and back on home soil he has a clear edge over these rivals. A repeat of the performance he produced to beat White Birch and co to win the Irish Derby here would probably suffice.

If he’s at the level he was when winning the Derby at Epsom, Irish Champion and Breeders’ Cup Turf, well that definitely would.

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