Take Two For Air Force Blue

Those unable to believe that Air Force Blue (War Front) can bounce back from such a tame effort in the G1 2000 Guineas three weeks ago and win the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh on Saturday should bear in mind that when it comes to reviving fortunes in that short turnaround, Aidan O'Brien has previous form. Four years ago, Power (GB) ran a similar race at Newmarket before prevailing here, and that followed the win of the fellow Guineas also-ran Roderic O'Connor (Ire) for the stable 12 months previously. With a record 10 renewals to his name already, the current Ballydoyle conductor said in a recent interview that his biggest concern is whether Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's G1 Phoenix S., G1 National S. and G1 Dewhurst S. winner has the stamina for a mile. “He is a very quick horse. The thing is, we're not probably going to be sure about whether he will get a mile or drop back to shorter distances, and the next couple of weeks will tell us a lot about him,” he said of the bay, who will not be re-fitted with a tongue tie. “Anything I did for the English Guineas, I won't do again as it was a dramatic failure, really. Sometimes when you put a tongue tie on a horse and a cross noseband, it can make them slow down a little bit and he did that straight away in his canters.” O'Brien continued, “I still won't believe that he is going to get a mile until I see it, but I would imagine looking at his work recently he is going to travel very strong early. The Curragh comes at a good time and it sorts out your plans for Ascot.”

Like the 2009 winner Mastercraftsman (Ire), Air Force Blue's stablemate Air Vice Marshal (War Front) fared reasonably well in the Newmarket Classic, finishing fourth, and he is in the line-up again alongside the two who were withdrawn from the Guineas at the declaration stage, Bravery (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Shogun (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). All have to beat Al Shaqab Racing's 2000 Guineas title-holder Galileo Gold (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}), with Michael O'Callaghan keen to accept the challenge with Qatar Racing Limited and Sheikh Khalifa Abdulla Al Thani's G3 Killavullan S. scorer Blue de Vega (Ger) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Runner-up to the re-opposing Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) attempting to give that rival three pounds in the May 2 Listed Tetrarch S. over seven furlongs here, he is expected to take closer order with that run under his belt.

“He is very well, in good order and we're looking forward to running him,” O'Callaghan said. “He's come on a lot from his first run in the Tetrarch a couple of weeks ago. A mile is going to be his absolute minimum from now on. With his stout German pedigree, I'd say he's going to end up stepping up in trip. We'll take in the Guineas first and see where we go after that.”