Jessica Harrington outsider backed for Irish 2,000 Guineas

A field of eight three-year-old fillies are the Irish Oaks runners on show at the Curragh on Saturday, 22 July. Master Irish handler Aidan O'Brien has half the field and the first two in the betting as he seeks an outright record seventh win in the 1m 4f Classic contest. If there's one thing we love in horse racing, then it's clashes. This feature…

50 days after the British equivalent took place at Epsom, some of the sport's top fillies will battle it out in the Irish Oaks this weekend. As with all of the Classics in Britain and Ireland, Aidan O'Brien's record in the Irish Oaks is excellent and it's no surprise to see his top filly dominating the market. Here's our free guide to the…

Eight fillies are set to contest the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Saturday, with the four Ballydoyle contenders standing their ground at the declaration stage and Lambada the only challenger scratched from the entries. Epsom runner-up Savethelastdance and Ribblesdale winner Warm Heart will both line-up in the 1m4f Classic for champion…

Racing TV's Harry Allwood puts all eight contenders under the microscope in Saturday's Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh plus makes a case for one at a big price. WATCH: Aidan O'Brien shares the inside track on his Juddmonte Irish Oaks contenders in a special episode of On The Wire. Our expert team also provide their best bets for the Curragh…

Joseph O'Brien is set to step the exciting Trustyourinstinct up to Group 3 company in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic Meld Stakes at Leopardstown after the JP McManus-owned colt landed his first two starts in stylish fashion. The son of Churchill was favourite in a competitive maiden on Irish Guineas weekend at the Curragh on his debut and…

At a press morning at her own Commonstown Stud base, Jessica Harrington didn't hesitate when asked if there is one major race she'd like to win. "Oh, the Derby," she asserted. "I'd love to win the Derby. But it's the hardest race to win because of Aidan (O'Brien). I've had very few runners in it but I'd love to win it." It was the first time…

Since the turn of the century only four fillies have arrived at the Curragh for the Irish 1000 Guineas with a higher rating than Tahiyra. Attraction (119) and Finsceal Beo (120) did the English-Irish 1000 Guineas double in 2004 and 2007, while Homecoming Queen (120) and Minding (120) were beaten favourites in 2012 and 2016. Tahiyra did not win at…

Royal Scotsman bids for Classic glory once again after he was beaten two-and-a-quarter lengths when third in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket after enduring a luckless passage through the race. The Group 2-winning juvenile pulled hard in the early stages that day, faced traffic problems at a crucial stage and raced well away from the action when his…

The first Irish Classics of the season will take place this weekend. Saturday's card is headlined by the Irish 2000 Guineas, a race that has been won by legends like Grundy, Dubawi and Kingman during it's 100-year history. Here's our free guide to the 2023 Irish 2000 Guineas and our best betting tips. Leading the way in the betting is Royal…

Horse Racing Ireland's coffers has got a boost from a trio of high-profile supplementary entries for this weekend's Guineas Festival at the Curragh. The first domestic Classic of the season, Saturday's Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, saw the exciting English colt Royal Scotsman added to a dozen-strong entry at Tuesday's acceptance stage. Royal…

Irish jockey Oisín Murphy returned to the top Classic table with Qipco 1000 Guineas glory on board Godolphin's Mawj at Newmarket on Sunday. The 9-1 winner, a first Classic success in 14 years for trainer Saeed Bin Suroor, got the better of a protracted scrap up the historic Rowley Mile with Dermot Weld's 6-4 favourite Tahiyra by half a length. It…

Racegoers at the Curragh on Saturday could be in for an extra treat with the possibility of Aidan O'Brien's 2000 Guineas and Derby favourite Auguste Rodin exercising after racing. A high-profile string from Ballydoyle tends to head to Irish Flat racing's Headquarters on the opening day to stretch their legs away from home. While the gallop is never…

Slap bang in its 60th year, Moyglare Stud has come up trumps with Homeless Songs, one of the most impressive Irish 1000 Guineas winners of the modern era, who is on course to run in Saturday's G1 Coolmore America " Justify " Matron S. at Leopardstown. The stud also has Irish St Leger hotpot Kyprios (Ire) Galileo (Ire), Blandford S. hope Trevaunance…

The €500000 Juddmonte Irish Oaks is undoubtedly the highlight at the Curragh on Saturday afternoon with the fillies' Classic scheduled for 3.45pm. PIC: Sportsfile The €500000 Juddmonte Irish Oaks is undoubtedly the highlight at the Curragh on Saturday afternoon with the fillies' Classic scheduled for 3.45pm. The Group One event is one of eight…

Emily Upjohn's absence appears to have presented Royal Ascot heroine Magical Lagoon with an excellent chance to provide Jessica Harrington with a second Classic success in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks. After finishing a narrow second to Tuesday in the Oaks at Epsom last month, Emily Upjohn was odds-on to go one better at the Curragh, but was taken out…

It's a huge week of racing and we'll be bringing your a live blog every day from Royal Ascot. And our many Garry Owen will give you his selections as well as all of the other UK meetings. MY PROSPERO (4.20) can storm to victory in the St James's Palace Stakes on Day One of Royal Ascot. Thriving William Haggas has a serious chance of more big-race…

for all the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas runners and riders, form, Timeform ratings and commments plus the very latest betting Native Trail can cement a Classic season that can so far hardly have gone better for Charlie Appleby with victory in the Tattersalls-sponsored Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday. The Oasis Dream colt was a hot…

Johnny Murtagh secured the first Classic of his training career when Sonnboyliston brought Irish Champions Weekend to a memorable conclusion at the Curragh on Sunday. Since 1983, when the Comer Group Irish St Leger was opened to older horses, purists have been quibbling with its'Classic' tag. Such considerations were irrelevant to Murtagh and…

Peaceful: won last season's Irish 1000 Guineas Your guide to Sunday's Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh, the second Irish Classic of the season.

Aidan O'Brien thinks the 2000 Guineas may have come a few weeks too early for his top three-year-old colts and is convinced Wembley and Van Gogh are all better than they showed at Newmarket. They will certainly need to be if O'Brien is to win Ireland's first Classic of the season for an unprecedented 12th time, but the master of Ballydoyle has not…

Siskin: won the 2020 Irish 2000 Guineas, but who will score at the Curragh on Saturday? Your guide to Saturday's Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh, the first Classic of the season in Ireland.

Lucky Vega stretches clear to land the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh Jessica Harrington has stressed it is a "very big weekend" for her Commonstown team as Lucky Vega tackles the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday, a race she is trying to win for the first time. The dual-purpose trainer, who celebrated her first Classic…

The first of six challengers from the powerful Aidan O'Brien stable with the master of Ballydoyle looking to secure a 14th victory in the Irish Derby. ARTHUR'S KINGDOM is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his sire, Camelot who won this Classic for the trainer in 2012. He has never finished outside the top two places and has a leading chance for…

Frankie Dettori on cloud nine after his Coronation Stakes triumph on Alpine Star Frankie Dettori declared that he had conquered Royal Ascot after Alpine Star followed in the footprints of her exceptional half-sister Alpha Centauri by winning the Coronation Stakes emphatically. The victory means Dettori has now won the current full set of Group 1…

Five-time Irish flat racing champion jockey turned trainer Johnny Murtagh believes Siskin will prevail in Friday's Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh racecourse. Ger Lyons' thoroughbred is one of 11 contenders who are set compete in the €250000 classic. The colt won three out of three races at the Kildare circuit last year and owner Prince Khalid…