Fran Berry previews Saturday's Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh

Recommended bets

1pt e.w. Presto in 4.00 the Curragh at 12/1

1pt win Florence Camille in 5.10 the Curragh at SP

1pt e.w. Fancy Blue in 7.15 the Curragh at 13/2

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Albigna is favourite for Saturday’s Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and there could be any amount of improvement in her this season.

She was a bit of a surprise package when she pitched up and won at the Curragh and won on debut and did nothing but improve all year – with the one exception being a below-par run in the Moyglare Stud Stakes when found to be in season.

The vibes from the stable are very strong this spring, she’s won at the track and a mile shouldn’t be an issue. She has a wide draw but that won’t matter given her running style and she is a worthy favourite but at 2/1 doesn’t offer much value.

Aidan O’Brien has a strong team as you’d expect. There’s a lot of talk around Peaceful who was second to Born With Pride in a Listed race at Newmarket last season. The winner was beaten on her reappearance but the third home Run Wild was a runaway winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes last week and heads to the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot next week.

She looks one of the stable picks while Just Wonderful will go well too but it’s the filly he doesn’t train anymore – FANCY BLUE – who I like. She’s now with Donnacha and won her maiden at Naas despite traffic problems and went on to win a competitive Listed race at the Curragh at the backend.

She created a huge impression there. The round mile at this track is a speed test, even in bad ground, and she came from last to first to get there late on. I don’t think the ground that day, judging by her action, suited her. She’s by Deep Impact, the sire of Saxon Warrior and a star stallion in Japan, and she’ll revel on the better ground here.

At 13/2 with firms paying four places she looks a solid each-way bet and could even be her trainer’s first winner on turf. It would be a story and a half and given the family’s trait for such things, Joseph winning a Derby in his first season for example, it wouldn’t be a surprise.

Michael Halford’s filly Ridenza is well worth a mention too. She won very well at Leopardstown on her only start at two. Her yard’s horses tend to need their first runs but she jumped, travelled well and ran out a ready winner. She overraced a little if anything but was well backed and justified the support.

Unfortunately she pulled up lame after that race and has been off since but the trainer can get them ready at home and she’s worth a second look at 16/1.

Elsewhere on the card, I like PRESTO in the deep-looking two mile handicap which kicks off the card. With Galway around the corner and some major races of this type coming up, it's seriously competitive but the selection won a Cork bumper by eight lengths on his only National Hunt start.

He then beat Party Playboy in a Gowran maiden and that form looks good with the second running so well in the English Cesarewitch. You can upgrade his Dundalk run too as he didn't get a great run over a shorter trip and this sort of test will be more to his liking. He also gets to run off a slightly lower mark back on turf.

Jurandme might be the biggest danger but I like the claims of Oliver McKiernan's five-year-old.

The Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Fillies Maiden looks highly informative and a race to learn from but I'll have a small win bet on FLORENCE CAMILLE in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden for Dermot Weld.

It'll be interesting to see how Weld's horses got on on Friday night but regardless of that, this filly sets the standard here and can see off a whole host of runners representing the O'Brien family. She's a Galileo filly who was a bit green and trapped wide at Cork in August on debut. It was a promising run and Dermot has her entered in a Listed race so there's more to come from her no doubt.

I've no strong view in the five furlong handicap but the Irish Stallion Farms EBF "Ragusa" Handicap is a really good race and while King's Vow is respected in spite of the wide draw (tends to start slowly anyway), I'd be with War Diary for Mick Halford.

He won over this course and distance last summer, beating Sea The Lion and is only 4lb higher here. The lack of a recent run might be a worry but he's gone well fresh before.

The other dead interesting one is top weight Verimli, who starts out for Joseph O'Brien and the Lloyd Williams team and he basically goes into the 'could be anything' bracket. He's definitely the horse to watch.

The Gladness Stakes looks extremely trappy and I have a lot of time for Speak In Colours without really wanting to put him up here. He's not one for maximum faith in my view. Lancaster House could well be the one to beat but there's not much in it.

The Lanwades Stud Stakes is a belting Group Two and it's fascinating to see Magic Wand back at a mile for the first time since her debut run two and a half years ago. She's so tough and hardy and backed up quickly when winning in Australia last season so I'd have half an eye on her with Royal Ascot in mind. I see she's entered in the Duke Of Cambridge over a mile next week.

Posted at 1500 BST on 12/06/20

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