Irish 2000 Guineas

Today
Scattered showers in western counties will spread countrywide during the morning. Some of the showers will be heavy during the day, with a slight risk of thunder, but there will be bright or sunny spells at times also. Afternoon temperatures will range from 13 to 16 Celsius in a moderate and mainly westerly breeze.
Tonight

The showers will become isolated this evening, however, outbreaks of rain will develop in the west and southwest later this evening and spread to much of the country overnight. The rain, accompanied by mist and hill fog, will be persistent at times overnight in the southern half of the country but overall amounts will be small and some northern parts will stay mostly dry. Lowest temperatures 4 to 9 Celsius, coldest in Ulster.
hr.gif


Tomorrow

Mostly cloudy and close on Friday with further outbreaks of rain in most parts during the morning though again some northern parts will stay mostly dry. Becoming drier in many areas by afternoon with some bright spells possible later in the afternoon in the east and southeast. Highest temperatures 13 to 16 Celsius with moderate to fresh south to southwesterly winds.

Outlook

Friday night will be mild and will begin mostly dry, but rain will spread eastwards to all parts as the night goes on. The Rain will be heavy for a time before clearing on Saturday morning. The rest of Saturday will be mostly dry with sunny breaks and light winds. Sunday will be another dry and bright day with variable cloud and sunny spells. Winds will be light variable or southwest, with afternoon temperatures reaching the high teens. It'll continue very mild or even warm for Monday and Tuesday too.
 
Last 24 hours have ensured the meeting will go ahead, been pretty dry.

9 declared

Drumbeat
Delegator
Mastercraftsman
Soul City
Viceroy Of India
Fergus McIvor
Rayeni
Recharge
Hail Caesar
 
Rayeni for me here, don't think Oxx would be pitching him in this if he didn't think he had more than half a chance of getting the front two beat, and he should go on the ground better than most.
 
My two against the field are Soul City and Delegator.

Delegator and Mastercraftsman were sharing favouritism last night on BF and whilst I appreciate Mastercraftsman has form on the ground Delegator has shown he has a turn of foot on soft and I just can't see the form from Newmarket being reversed.

Soul City has been trained for this and has the form in the book as well giving him a decent chance as well.

May well be a bad idea to take on O'Brien's in this but i'm going to anyway.

I did look at Fergus McIver as he has travelled really well inthe Ballysax and Derrinstown but I think he may have flattered to deceive and Jim is running him in this because he has no chance in the Derby and there is nothing else for him.
 
Mastercraftsman to reverse Newmarket form with Delegator.

I know that I may be basing this on loyalty rather than logic but he has won in heavy conditions, and the Curragh should suit him better than Newmarket, so I'll give him another chance.

Rayeni was impressive last autumn, and should be the best of the others.
 
I dont think conditions will suit Mastercraftsman but he will be fitter and sharper for the run at Newmarket when Delegator had benefit of a run.
 
By Brian Fleming5.21PM 21 MAY 2009
WEATHER conditions have improved at the Curragh where the first Classics of the Irish season take place this weekend.
"It's been sunny and breezy here all day which is exactly what the doctor ordered," said Curragh manager Paul Hensey on Thursday evening.


"We had a wet start to the week with 12mm of rain on Monday, 23mm on Tuesday and around 5mm on Wednesday but thankfully today has been very good and we've had a lot of soakage. The going is still heavy but it's all systems go for racing here on Saturday and Sunday."

"The forecast is for some light intermittent showers later this evening and possibly tomorrow but hopefully the ground should improve before the first race on Saturday."
The Boylesports sponsored Irish 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas take place on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
 
Rayeni for me here, don't think Oxx would be pitching him in this if he didn't think he had more than half a chance of getting the front two beat, and he should go on the ground better than most.

Although conditions will suit this one probably more than any, Arazan would have been representing had he been okay. I can't really believe Oxx can win with his a horse he wouldn't have run if his first choice had been right.
 
I dont think conditions will suit Mastercraftsman but he will be fitter and sharper for the run at Newmarket when Delegator had benefit of a run.

Delegator may infact be better suited by conditions than Mastercraftsman despite MCM winning a Group 1 on going even worse than this. The Oxx horse will of course be well suited.

Like you I expect MCM to strip much fitter here though. There seems to be weight of money queuing up for him and looks like starting favourite.

All things considered I think Mastercraftsman will prove much too good for them, although I'd be more confident on better ground.
 
Last edited:
I do not trust Drumbeat, but he will be finishing well in this ground and could grab a place if Delegator or Mastercraftsman bomb in this ground.
 
Recharge for me as well. Identifying value is sometimes as easy as looking at a horse you like and seeing the animals priced similary. This race is a case in point.
Recharge is closer in price to Drumbeat and fecking Soul City than Reyani. That`s just wrong.

And this:

Rayeni for me here, don't think Oxx would be pitching him in this if he didn't think he had more than half a chance of getting the front two beat, and he should go on the ground better than most.

is not a punting angle jdc (no offence).
 
Delegator has drifted to a massive price. His pedigree suggests he should have little trouble with the ground, Dansili's best performers seem pretty versatile regarding ground and Delegator is out of a half-sister to Tomba and Holding Court. I can see the argument for him possibly being unsuited by a greater test of stamina, but Newmarket in a strongly-run race was a proper test of stamina. I shall certainly be getting involved at 3/1.

Maybe I've been mis-reading signals, but I get the impression that Oxx doesn't hold Rayeni in anything like the regard he does the other 2 colts.
 
I think the old "he wouldn`t be running this or that horse if he didn`t fancy it" line is used most often about John Oxx. Obviously it worked in our 2000 but lightning striking twice? It`s gotta be doubtful.

It`s not blind faith with Rainbow View. I was against her in the 1000G and if we forget the hype that surrounded that race she ran a fine trial on ground that was too firm for her. And like Raven`s Pass last year I expect significent improvement between her first and second runs.

Getting back to tomorrow`s race, trawling through the form and pedigrees suggests that Recharge may be as home on a really soft surface as Oxx`s charge.
 
Last edited:
Delegator has drifted to a massive price. His pedigree suggests he should have little trouble with the ground, Dansili's best performers seem pretty versatile regarding ground and Delegator is out of a half-sister to Tomba and Holding Court. I can see the argument for him possibly being unsuited by a greater test of stamina, but Newmarket in a strongly-run race was a proper test of stamina. I shall certainly be getting involved at 3/1.

The combination of heavy ground (a negative in that it will bring stamina to the fore rather than whether he will actually act on it) and the likelihood of a strong gallop are enough to deter me from getting involved considering he looked to be nearing the end of his tether in the closing stages at Newmarket.

On decent ground over the trip I would certainly back Delegator to uphold the Guineas form; Mastercraftsman simply does not possess the acceleration of the Meehan horse.

Interesting point about Recharge, Euro. His pedigree certainly suggests he will appreciate soft ground but I'm not sure his action necessarily does.
 
If this was on good ground I would be really confident about Mastercraftsman as I think he is much better than his Guineas run where he did not handle the dip after travelling well early on. Whats more he is a lazy type and is likely to be all the better for that run. He should still sneak it though. Vibes are very positive this evening.

I was really sweet on Rayeni initially but the more I look at his form the more I think he is probably too short given what he has achieved.
 
Last edited:
Thought Mastercraftsman was being niggled at a fair way before the dip (certainly didn't travel as well as the Meehan horse anyway). Take your point about him being a lazy sort who will come on a good deal for the run.

Impossible to justify Rayeni's price on his form thusfar. Will relish the conditions though, which is more than can be said for those ahead of him in the market!
 
Back
Top