Gstaad hoping for luck of the Irish

COUNTY KILDARE – Gstaad will look to extend the trend of English 2000 Guineas runners-up going one better in the Irish equivalent when he returns to The Curragh on May 23.

After a brave second to George Boughey’s Bow Echo at Newmarket on May 2, Coolmore’s outstanding three-year-old is hoping for better luck on home soil in the €500,000 (S$743,000) Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas (1,600m) on May 23.

If the past trend of the two Classics is anything to go by, there is reason to be confident.

Star milers Rosallian and Field Of Gold both went on to land the odds in Ireland in 2024 and 2025, following their respective defeats.

A son of Starspangledbanner, Gstaad, who filled the runner-up spot in three Group 1s in succession – the Prix Morny (1,200m), Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (1,400m) and Dewhurst Stakes (1,400m) – before landing the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (1,600m) at Del Mar on his final appearance as a two-year-old, is a general 4-9 chance for the May 23 feature.

“Gstaad pulled hard the whole way (in the Guineas),” said trainer Aidan O’Brien.

“At Newmarket with no cover, he ran a great race, he quickened away from the third horse, and they were eight lengths ahead.

“George’s horse got a little bit of cover in the first part of the race, and it’s hard to quicken if you don’t have cover. That’s what happened to Gstaad, and he drifted to the right instead of coming to the left.

“We were delighted with the run, the winner was very good on the day, and it didn’t work out totally for us.”

Gstaad looks poised to take on Charlie Appleby’s Distant Storm, who finished over eight lengths behind O’Brien’s colt when back in third for Godolphin in Newmarket’s 2000 Guineas.

Fozzy Stack’s Thesecretadversary also held his ground in fifth.

Karl Burke’s Group 3 Greenham Stakes (1,400m) winner Alparslan is a progressive sort with three wins from four starts, having failed once at his only Group 1 test, in the Dewhurst Stakes (1,400m) at Newmarket last October.

Burke is increasingly making his presence felt in UK classics, having claimed one Irish 1000 Guineas with Fallen Angel in 2024 and will aim to upset the O’Brien’s dominance in the Irish 2000 Guineas (12 wins) with Alparslan.

Gstaad’s stablemate Hawk Mountain, a winner of the last four of his five starts, is still in the running, although he looks set to run in the Group 1 Prix du Jockey Club (2,100m) at Chantilly on May 31 instead.

True Love could bid to become the fifth filly to achieve the English-Irish 1000 Guineas double when she heads to The Curragh on May 24.

O’Brien’s charge won the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes (1,200m) in fine style as a two-year-old and proved her ability to stay the mile when successfully stepping up in trip at Newmarket.

The master of Ballydoyle, who has won the race a record-setting 11 times, also left Precise amongst the 16 confirmations.

The Starspangledbanner filly landed the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes (1,400m) before dazzling in the Group 1 Fillies’ Mile (1,600m) at Newmarket last season, but she could only finish seventh on her return behind True Love.

Precise is currently the 7-4 market leader as she bids to leave her Newmarket effort behind, with True Love a 2-1 chance to follow up.

Charlie Appleby’s 1000 Guineas fifth Abashiri also remains in the mix, as does Richard Hughes’ Group 3 Nell Gwynn Stakes (1,400m) runner-up America Queen and Jack Channon’s Sukanya.

The latter could step up to a mile for the first time following her win in the Group 3 Fred Darling (1,400m) at Newbury.

Burke will bid for a second Irish 1000 Guineas with two-from-two winner Hope Queen. RACING AND SPORTS