Irish 2000 Guineas Entries: Native Trail heads 11 entries for Curragh Classic
Charlie Appleby's Native Trail could only finish second in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket a few weeks ago, but the Godolphin raider will attempt to go one better when he lines up in the Irish 2000 Guineas, which takes place at the Curragh on Saturday afternoon...
The superstar two-year-old is one of 11 entries for the Irish Classic on Saturday afternoon, and the Appleby-trained star will look to recapture the winning thread in the one-mile contest for which he is a short-priced favourite for. The champion juvenile, Native Trail kicked off his season with a facile win in the Craven Stakes at Newmarket, but he couldn't follow that up when defeated by stablemate Coroebus in the 2000 Guineas at Flat HQ, so Appleby will be hoping his exciting colt can get his head in front again.
He may have been beaten by Coroebus, but he still beat some classy opponents with Aidan O'Brien's Luxembourg back in third, and that Ballydoyle handler will look to get his own back on Appleby as he could saddle two in the race. O'Brien, who has won the Irish 2000 Guineas a staggering 11 times could well saddle Ivy League, who was last seen finishing second in the Group 3 Amethyst Stakes, while The Acropolis was well beaten in the French Guineas last weekend, and could make a quick turnaround.
Native Trail's biggest threat could come from Joseph O'Brien's Buckaroo, who beat current Derby fancy Stone Age as a juvenile, and was last seen bounding to a Listed event at the Curragh three weeks ago. He got the better of Jim Bolger's Wexford Native in that Listed contest and the pair could well do battle once again, but Buckaroo shaped like there could be significant improvement to come this season, and he has to be the biggest threat to the jolly.
Dermot Weld last trained the winner of this event back in 1986 when Flash Of Steel bagged glory, but the Rosewell House handler will attempt to claim glory once again and saddled Duke De Sessa, who was last seen finishing fifth of nine in the Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown, where he was comfortably beaten by leading Derby contender Stone Age.
Of the others, Malex was fourth behind Buckaroo in the abovementioned Listed contest and could reoppose here, while the Andrew Balding-trained Imperial Fighter adds a little of intrigue to event as he adds some strength in depth to the British challenge, but he has been well beaten in last few outings.
Completing the 11-strong field is the Ger Lyons-trained Atomic Jones, Jim Bolger's Boundless Ocean and Sheila Lavery's New Energy in a race that should see Native Trail return to winning ways, as he looks to get back on the winning thread.