Gstaad Faces Nine In Irish 2,000 Guineas Challenge
By Tom Frary
Ballydoyle's crack three-year-old Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) will face nine rivals in Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at The Curragh.
Following the expected withdrawals of the stable's Group 1 winners Puerto Rico and Hawk Mountain, the 2,000 Guineas runner-up will have only Neolithic (Sioux Nation) for company with the Rosegreen duo drawn in eight and 10 respectively.
Godolphin's Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder), who was third at Newmarket, will be partnered by that Classic's winning rider Billy Loughnane in the absence of the suspended William Buick and departs from stall six, while the Guineas fifth Thesecretadversary (St Mark's Basilica), the G3 Greenham Stakes winner Alparslan (Dandy Man) and last year's Phoenix Stakes hero Power Blue (Space Blues) are in one, three and seven respectively.
The field is completed by the outsiders Take Charge Star (Starspangledbanner), Go Just Do It (Kingman), Pacific Avenue (Dubawi) and Bamako Beach (Sands Of Mali).