By Tom Frary
The Curragh will tell the true story of what would have happened had Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) made the G1 2000 Guineas, as the Lloyd-Webbers' champion juvenile meets the Newmarket Classic hero Magna Grecia (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) in a barnstorming renewal of the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas. What seemed a pipedream in the immediate aftermath of Too Darn Hot's first defeat in York's G2 Dante S. a week ago is now reality after the G1 Dewhurst S. winner forced John Gosden's hand and the 'TDN Rising Star' was handed stall 11 of 14 in the draw on Thursday.
Magna Grecia will be joined by four stablemates including last year's G2 Royal Lodge S. winner Mohawk (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was second in the Listed Dee S. over 10 furlongs on May 9, and 'TDN Rising Star' Old Glory (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Aidan O'Brien said on Wednesday evening, “Magna Grecia seems fine and is in good form and it was always the plan to come to The Curragh. Everything has gone well since.”
Old Glory gets his season started in the Zayat Stables silks, with the €1.6-million 2017 Goffs Orby Sale topper not seen since finishing third in the seven-furlong G3 Killavullan S. at Leopardstown in October, while another Rosegreen representative Van Beethoven (Scat Daddy) will give a clue as to the merit of the form of the May 12 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains in which he was five-lengths sixth.
On Friday, The Curragh warms up with an evening fixture in which the G3 Kerrygold Gallinule S. provides potential Irish Derby clues. Ryan Moore has opted for the 10-length Thurles maiden winner Constantinople (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) over 'TDN Rising Star' U S S Michigan (War Front) and Antilles (War Front), while Jim Bolger reintroduces the G3 Tyros S. runner-up Bold Approach (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) after a lengthy absence. Earlier on the card, the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Marble Hill S. sees Ballydoyle stack three against Khalid Abdullah's May 11 Naas conditions scorer Siskin (First Defence) including the colt the Ger Lyons trainee beat there in Harpocrates (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
At Goodwood, Denford Stud's Private Secretary (GB) (Kingman {GB}) lines up in the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Cocked Hat S., which is the race formerly known as the Predominate. Thoughts about a tilt at the G1 Epsom Derby have quickly given way to Royal Ascot ambitions, but the Apr. 26 10-furlong Sandown handicap winner is becoming a buzz horse and his progress will now be closely monitored. “Obviously the trainer must feel he has come on an awful lot since his last run and where he goes from there depends how well he does in the race,” the stud's Richard Evans said. “If he was to come out of the Cocked Hat S. and win that by a very good margin then you'd have to consider the Derby, but other than that it looks as if Epsom will come too soon for him really.”
Saturday, Curragh, Ireland, post time: 3.35 p.m.
TATTERSALLS IRISH 2000 GUINEAS-G1, €400,000, 3yo, c/f, 8fT
SC PP HORSE SIRE JOCKEY TRAINER WT
1 8 Decrypt (GB) Dark Angel (Ire) W Lee Twomey 126
2 10 Emaraaty Ana (GB) Shamardal Atzeni K Ryan 126
3 7 Globe Theatre War Front Beggy A O'Brien 126
4 6 Guaranteed (Ire) Teofilo (Ire) Manning Bolger 126
5 12 Hillwalker (GB) Foxwedge (Aus) R Cleary T Cleary 126
6 4 I Am Superman (Ire) Footstepsinthesand (GB) Roche O'Callaghan 126
7 9 Magna Grecia (Ire) Invincible Spirit (Ire) Moore A O'Brien 126
8 13 Mohawk (Ire) Galileo (Ire) D O'Brien A O'Brien 126
9 3 Old Glory (Ire) Frankel (GB) Lordan A O'Brien 126
10 1 Phoenix of Spain (Ire) Lope de Vega (Ire) J Spencer C Hills 126
11 5 Shelir (Ire) Dark Angel (Ire) Hayes Weld 126
12 2 Skardu (GB) Shamardal J Doyle Haggas 126
13 11 Too Darn Hot (GB) Dubawi (Ire) Dettori Gosden 126
14 14 Van Beethoven Scat Daddy Heffernan A O'Brien 126
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