2000 Guineas

You could imagine AOB using Dundalk more than any other track in Ireland in years to come. Makes sense instead of giving a horse an unnecessarily hard race on typical Curragh ground

Very rarely do you see a winner having anything other than a hard race at Dundalk. I can't explain why. It's hard to win from off the pace and the good money ensures the races are well contested, but you would still expect to see a higher number of horses outclassing their fields. It seems tougher than your average track to me - granted without being as bad as heavy ground slogs.
 
Fencing Master looks tubby in the head on let alone on paddock inspection (I didn't see him in the paddock). Either that or he's just a bit chunky - Oratorio was well built.

Steinbeck is a great looking colt and a great mover - On looks he's the guineas winner for me! Magnier really is in a league of his own when it comes to picking them.
 
I've just been back and checked the pics I took as they went out, and indeed Fencing Master is noticeably gross, and Beethoven imo not far behind! (I did notice that on the day, whilst I wasn't looking that hard at FM). Steinbeck looks relatively normal

Re Dundalk, it is probalby the newness of the course which is making for hard races - there was the same thing at GLs. New polytracks need a gread deal of bedding in and until they are compacted, the surface rides quite 'heavy'. Rolling is expensive so at GLs at least they were letting the runners do it rather than roll as much as they would have liked... Lingfield recently did a deep harrow/turnover of the track, and it gave noticebly slower times immediately
 
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