Curragh Racecourse: preview and tips for Saturday’s Irish 2000 Guineas card

A cracking card is on the horizon for punters heading to the Curragh on Saturday with one of the highlights of the season - the Irish 2000 Guineas - set for the off this weekend.

The Group 1 contest over the mile is the highlight of an action-packed nine-race card at Flat HQ in Ireland, with the big race of the day off at 3.40pm. The card also includes the Listed Orby Stakes and the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes on a top-class day of racing.

Read below for a full preview of the nine-race card at the Curragh on Saturday courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest horse racing odds.

Up first on the Curragh card is a maiden contest over the six furlong trip, with 11 two-year-olds heading to the start (1.20). Powerhouse trainer Aidan O’Brien, unsurprisingly, had the winner in this last year with Henri Mattise, winner of the Group 1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains last week at Paris-Longchamp, and unleashes two incredibly bright prospects this year with Brussels and Kansas. The preference goes to the former in the opener as he is the choice of stable jockey Ryan Moore, who rarely gets it wrong, so Brussels - a colt out of prolific sire Wootton Bassett - looks to be the one to side with first up.

The Listed Orby Stakes, worth €30,000 to the winner, is up next at 1.55pm as nine runners battle it out over the mile and a half trip. Trustyourinstinct, hailing from the other O'Brien yard with trainer Joseph, was a winner of a Group 3 at Leopardstown last season and looked back to best form when third in the Mooresbridge at this track 19 days ago. He has to shoulder a penalty but is still the one to beat down in class.

A massive field of 19 take on the mile and a quarter handicap in race three on the card (2.30), where the Ger Lyons-trained Himalayan Heights gets the nod arriving off the back of a career-best win at Leopardstown 45 days ago.

The first Group contest of the day is up next at 3.05 with the Greenlands Stakes, and nine runners will vie for the €72,000 top price. That could head the way of Storm Boy, who makes a debut for Aidan O’Brien yard and is incredibly appealing having not been beaten by fair in a couple of Group 1 contests out in Australia for previous connections on his last two starts last year. Lyons can fill the second spot here with My Mate Alfie, a winner of three on the spin last season including a Naas Group 3 before a good second on return last month at the same track.

The big race of the weekend is up next as a field of nine have been declared for the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas (3.40), held over the mile distance and a huge €289,999 heading the way of the winner. British raider Field Of Gold has a huge chance here, a winner of the Craven to get his campaign off and then only narrowly and unluckily beaten in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket and now has a crack at the Irish version for John and Thady Gosden, who have drafted in Colin Keane to ride with Kieran Shoemark having received plenty of heat for his Newmarket steering job. Aidan O’Brien clearly cannot be ruled out and he has two in here with the best of his pair being Officer, a Listed winner 19 days ago and is the choice of Ryan Moore. The main danger for the Gosden’s however could come from trainer Jessica Harrington’s runner Hotazhell, a Group 2 winner that edged out the Epsom Derby third-favourite Delacroix in the Group 1 Futurity at Doncaster in October, has swerved the French 2000 Guineas to line up here instead, so has to be of major interest.

After the Lord Mayor’s Show is the mile handicap (4.15) but the top prize is still very impressive, with €60,000 in the pockets of the winner. Another British raider in Skukuza could follow up a British triumph in the Guineas before this contest, with trainer Ed Dunlop booking superstar jockey Moore to ride his Royal Ascot runner-up. Defending champion State Actor is back to attempt to keep his crown too, while Irish Lincolnshire winner Orandi cannot be ruled out having finished third in the British equivalent the following weekend.

Transcending Glory, trained by Johnny Murtagh, looks the way to go in race six (4.50) off the back of a bit of a flop at Chester a fortnight ago but will strip a lot fitter for that run as he runs at the Curragh off his last winning mark, while the penultimate race of the day (5.25) can head the way of Shameful, another British runner heading over from the Clive Cox team, who appears to have got in lightly for his handicap debut so should resume winning ways after a second at Kempton on his last spin.

Finally, the Curragh card comes to a close at 5.55 with a three-year-old maiden contest and preference in the finale heads the way of Propose for the Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore combo, a Frankel colt that showed plenty when second of nine at Dundalk last time out to put aside any concerns after a seventh on debut last season at this track.

Curragh selections - Saturday 

1.20 - Brussels 

1.55 - Trustyourinstinct 

2.30 - Himalayan Heights 

3.05 - Storm Boy 

3.40 - Field Of Gold 

4.15 - Skukuza 

4.50 - Transcending Glory 

5.25 - Shameful 

5.55 - Propose