RACING CURRAGH PREVIEW:AT FIRST glance it might not appear the most headline-grabbing Abu Dhabi Irish 2,000 Guineas ever but the father-son team of Aidan and Joseph O'Brien can still notch a notable victory in the first Curragh classic of 2011 with Roderic O'Connor.
Just eight horses line up for the Guineas, led by the Newmarket runner-up Dubawi Gold, and it will be fascinating to see how the colt that got closest of all to Frankel three weeks ago fares this time.
Frankel was such a dominant winner of the English Guineas that there is an almost contradictory sense of the form behind him being suspicious. Richard Hughes looked to ride a canny race at Newmarket, powering through late to secure second with another of today’s challengers, Slim Shadey, back in fourth.
Roderic O’Connor beat only two home that day and has a massive amount of ground to make up on his two British-trained opponents today. He also has dangerous local opponents in Dunboyne Express and the maiden Zabarajad who will attempt to fill the one blank in John Oxx’s Irish classic CV.
It could be worth taking a chance though that the one Group One winner in today’s field will bounce back to winning form.
He got closer than most to Frankel in last year’s Dewhurst, won the Criterium-International after that and was having his first start of 2011 at Newmarket.
Eighteen-year-old O’Brien, one of last year’s co-champion apprentices, can’t use his 3lb claim but rides Roderic O’Connor regularly at home and it is not unknown for father-son combinations to win classics with Barry and Richard Hills having managed it in Britain, as well as Alec and Freddie Head in France.
O’Brien Snr has won this race a record six times but Dubawi Gold could be a fourth victory for Richard Hannon who scored last year with Canford Cliffs.
“When you go to Ireland you never know what sort of pace you are going to get, but Hughesie got off at Newmarket and said ‘without Frankel we would have come home alone’. If he can reproduce that form he’ll be hard to beat,” Hannon said. “People are claiming there is a substandard classic but there are no easy Group Ones.”
Hughes is Hannon’s son-in-law but the Irish classic season can kick off with a father-son victory for Roderic O’Connor.
O’Brien’s hope in the Group Three Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes is Sing Softly who has seen the form of her Nell Gwyn second to Barefoot Lady boosted since. However this valuable sprint has been dominated in recent years by cross-channel raiders and Kevin Ryan has a high opinion of Tiddliwinks who found only the Group One performers Delegator and Regal Parade too good for him at York last week.
Emulous had ground to make up on Lolly For Dolly on Gladness form in the TRI Equestrian Stakes but faster ground could make a difference to Dermot Weld’s filly while Fire Lily is preferred to the Ballydoyle hope Power in the Marble Hill.
