O'Brien's second-string can land a blow

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.

2023 Irish 2000 Guineas Odds

2023 Irish 2000 Guineas Entries

Leading the way in the betting is Royal Scotsman, who entered the betting after he was supplemented into this Classic on Wednesday. Paul and Oliver Cole's stable star was only beaten a head by Chaldean in last season's Dewhurst and ran a cracking race to finish third behind that same rival on his reappearance in the 2000 Guineas.

Kevin Ryan has confirmed that shock 2000 Guineas runner-up, Hi Royal will head to the Curragh to contest his second Classic of the season. Newmarket fourth Galeron makes the trip over to Ireland again, having won the Goffs Million at the Curragh during his juvenile campaign.

Aidan O'Brien's bid for a 12th Irish 2000 Guineas will be led by Paddington, who has already secured two impressive victories so far this season. Ireland's Champion Trainer will also be represented by Group Three winner Cairo and Age Of Kings, who hasn't been seen since last autumn.

Donnacha O'Brien drops Proud And Regal down to a mile again, following a third-place finish on his reappearance in the Leopardstown Derby Trial. David Egan and Roger Varian team up with Charyn, who finished eighth on his latest outing in the British 2000 Guineas.

Jessica Harrington has two runners at the Irish Guineas Festival, with Quar Shamar joining Bold Discovery in the field. Luke Comer's Alexander John rounds off the field.

Having put together a fine sequence of results at the highest level, Royal Scotsman is undoubtedly a worthy favourite. Paul and Oliver Cole must be confident of another big run, as they wouldn't have stumped up the supplementary fee otherwise. Stall seven isn't ideal, but if Royal Scotsman is forced into coming from off the pace to win this Classic with a late run, then Jamie Spencer is the ideal pilot for the job.

Only three Irish 2000 Guineas winners this century have been drawn wider than stall six. In fact, seven of the last ten champions came out of stall one, two or three, so a low draw is clearly an advantage.

Hi Royal made the most of front-running tactics when placing second in the British 1000 Guineas and Oisin Murphy's mount is positioned perfectly to grab an early lead from stall two. Ryan Moore and Paddington have been drawn nicely in stall three, and I doubt Aidan O'Brien's first string will be too far adrift of the early pace.

Another front-running candidate, CAIRO has been placed in stall four and Wayne Lordan's mount has shown enough during his career to suggest that he could be a player in this open-looking Classic.

Lordan was in the saddle when Cairo won his maiden here at the Curragh and again at Leopardstown in October, where O'Brien's colt ran out an impressive winner of the Killavullan Stakes. Following a powerful triumph at Dundalk on his reappearance, Cairo carried the tag of favouritism into the UAE Derby. Sadly, O'Brien's raider couldn't lay up with the rapid pace set by Derma Satogake and Ryan Moore eased his mount down two furlongs from home.

Plenty of classier horses than Cairo have underperformed around Meydan, so I'm happy to put a line through that run. Dropping back to a mile will definitely suit, as will the rapidly drying ground at the Curragh. If Cairo breaks well and can even grab an early lead, he could be hard to peg back.