Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas: Horse-by-horse guide and trainer views

Donn McClean horse-by-horse guide

Atomic Jones (Ger Lyons/Colin Keane)

He got off the mark on his racecourse debut in a seven-furlong maiden at the Irish Derby meeting at The Curragh last year, getting home by a whisker in in one of the most exciting finishes of the entire 2021 season.

Ger Lyons’ colt stepped forward from that on his second and final run last season when he landed the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown on Irish Champions’ Weekend, coming widest of all and latest of all in a Colin Keane masterclass, and getting up to beat Derby second favourite Stone Age by a head.

He could only finish fourth behind the same Stone Age in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown two weeks ago on his only run to date this season, but he didn’t have a lot of room early in the home straight that day. More importantly, he should progress from that and, representing the yard that won this in 2020 with Siskin, he could be happier back over a mile.

Buckaroo (Joseph O’Brien/Shane Crosse)

Winner of his maiden over an extended mile at the Galway Festival last July, when he beat Stone Age by a neck, he ran a big race in the Ballysax Stakes at Leoapardstown on his debut this season, just going down by a short head to Piz Badile.

He stepped forward from that last time when he dropped down to a mile, running out an impressive winner of the Listed Tetrarch Stakes at The Curragh, showing a potent turn of foot and going on to win by four lengths. Connections were toying with the idea of skipping the Irish Guineas and going straight to The Derby, and they still haven’t ruled out the possibility of going to Epsom in two weeks’ time, but he deserves to take his chance in the Irish Guineas.

His pedigree is mainly middle-distance, but his grandam is La Chunga, an Albany Stakes winner who was at her best over six furlongs, and Joseph O’Brien’s horse proved that he had a miler’s pace in winning the Tetrarch. He is probably going to have to progress again if he is going to beat Native Trail but, one for one over the course and distance, there is every chance that he will progress again.

Duke De Sessa (Dermot Weld/Chris Hayes)

He shaped like a really exciting juvenile last season when he won a one-mile maiden at The Curragh in August and, after finishing only sixth behind Native Trail in the National Stakes, he rounded off his season by winning the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown over nine furlongs, when he kept on well to beat Piz Badile by a half a length.

Only third behind Piz Badile and Buckaroo in the Ballysax on his debut this season, he didn’t show any progress from that in the Derby Trial back at Leopardstown two weeks ago. He is obviously a talented colt, but he is going to have to improve for the drop back down to a mile if he is going to get involved. He is proven on soft ground, so more rain would probably be a positive.

Imperial Fighter (Andrew Balding/Ben Coen)

An impressive winner of his maiden on soft ground at Goodwood last July on his racecourse debut, Andrew Balding’s horse chased home the Newmarket Guineas winner Coroebus in the Group 3 Autumn Stakes at Newmarket in early October, and he wasn’t beaten far by Luxembourg in the Vertem Futurity Trophy on his final run last season.

He was beaten in a listed race at Newcastle on his debut this season, but he was keen early on that day, and he didn’t have a lot of luck in-running. He is better than the bare form of run race suggests, and Ben Coen is a great booking.

Ivy League (Aidan O’Brien/Ryan Moore)

Unraced as a juvenile, he won his maiden over a mile at Dundalk in early April, and he stepped forward from that next time when he ran out an impressive winner of a one-mile handicap at Naas off a mark of 84, despite moving to his right close home.

He ran well against the older horses last time in the Group 3 Amethyst Stakes at Leopardstown, the only three-year-old in the race, showing lots of tenacity and keeping on willingly to get up and fill the runner-up spot behind the seven-year-old Pretreville, who made just about all the running. Supplemented to the race on Tuesday, he is the sole representative of trainer Aidan O’Brien, who has won the race a record 11 times.

Malex (Michael O’Callaghan/Leigh Roche)

An expensive yearling and unraced as a juvenile, Michael O’Callaghan’s horse did well to get off the mark on his racecourse debut at The Curragh in March, staying on strongly down the outside to just get up and nut the 100-rated Boundless Ocean.

He could only finish fourth behind Buckaroo in the Tetrarch Stakes last time, and it is difficult to see how he is going to reverse placings with Joseph O’Brien’s horse, but he should progress for that experience, and his trainer’s horses have hit form.

Native Trail (Charlie Appleby/William Buick)

Unbeaten in four runs last year as a juvenile, Charlie Appleby’s colt is the short and deserving favourite. He was really impressive in landing the National Stakes at The Curragh last September, and he rounded off his season by winning the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, taking his record to four from four.

He started off this season in exemplary fashion too, landing the odds in the Craven, and he ran a big race from his high draw in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket to go down by just three parts of a length to his stable companion Coroebus. He is a top-class colt, a dual Group 1 winner already, and he is 11lb clear on official ratings. He sets the standard that his rivals must reach.

New Energy (Sheila Lavery/Billy Lee)

Really impressive in winning his maiden on his racecourse debut at The Curragh in September, he was keener than ideal through the early stages of the Group 3 Killavullan Stakes on his final run last season, and he ultimately faded to finish eighth.

Third in Leopardstown’s Guineas Trial and in the Tetrarch Stakes this season, he is a wholly likeable colt and he is steadily progressive, but he is going to have to take a significant leap forward now if he is going to be involved.

Wexford Native (Jim Bolger/Kevin Manning)

Unraced as a juvenile, Jim Bolger’s colt got off the mark on his debut this season, doing well to get across from his wide draw early, and staying on strongly to get the better of subsequent winner Sun King, the pair of them coming nicely clear of their rivals.

He did well too last time to finish second to Buckaroo in the Tetrarch Stakes. He had no answer to the winner’s finishing kick, but there was a lot to like about the manner in which he stuck to his task for one so inexperienced. He should progress again for that experience, and he could out-run decent odds.

Verdict:

1 – Native Trail

2 – Buckaroo

3 – Imperial Fighter

For more from Donn visit www.donnmcclean.com

What the trainers say

Native Trail can cement a Classic season that can so far hardly have gone better for Charlie Appleby with victory in the Tattersalls-sponsored Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

The Oasis Dream colt was a hot favourite to provide the Moulton Paddocks handler with a first victory in the Qipco 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, but was upstaged by stablemate Coroebus. Last weekend Appleby added the French equivalent to his CV, with Breeders’ Cup hero Modern Games dominating the Poule d’Essai des Poulains at ParisLongchamp.

Having been beaten only three-quarters of a length by Coroebus on the Rowley Mile three weeks ago, Native Trail will be prohibitive odds to claim Classic glory at the second attempt under William Buick and Appleby could not be happier with his condition.

“Everyone is very excited, the horse looks fantastic. He had his last little piece of work (on Wednesday morning), William (Buick) sat on him and he looked great,” he said on the Godolphin website.

“We have been delighted with the way he came out of the 2000 Guineas and how his preparation has gone. Obviously, a repeat of his Newmarket run is going to make him the one to beat.

“What fantastic performances we’ve seen in the English and the French Guineas now, so there’s a lot of excitement going into the weekend. If we can cap it with the Irish Guineas as well, it would be a fantastic achievement for the whole team here at Moulton Paddocks and for Godolphin.”

The biggest threat to Native Trail appears to be the Joseph O’Brien-trained Buckaroo.

The son of Fastnet Rock was touched off by Derby contender Piz Badile in the Ballysax at Leopardstown before successfully reverting to a mile in the Tetrarch Stakes over this course and distance

O’Brien said: “Buckaroo was very good last time in the Tetrarch Stakes over the same course and distance as the Guineas at the Curragh. He’s come out of that race well and we are looking forward to the weekend.”

Jim Bolger, who won last year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas with Mac Swiney, is represented by Wexford Native, who was a four-length runner-up to Buckaroo last time.

Aidan O’Brien has already won the first Irish Classic of the year on a record 11 occasions and relies on the supplemented Ivy League, runner-up in a Group Three last time, to make it a dozen.

“We were delighted with him at Leopardstown last time, stepping up to Group Three company on the back of a handicap win off 84,” jockey Ryan Moore told Betfair. “The winner got the run of the race from the front but I was very encouraged by the way my horse finished off his race. He will get further, and he is still in the Derby, but I think you will see him take another big step forward here. Of course, that may not be enough to get near Native Trail, or even Buckaroo, but let’s see.”

Native Trail is one of two British-trained contenders along with Andrew Balding’s Imperial Fighter, who was last seen finishing third in the Listed Burradon Stakes at Newcastle.

Atomic Jones (Ger Lyons), Duke De Sessa (Dermot Weld), Malex (Michael O’Callaghan) and New Energy (Sheila Lavery) complete the field.

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