Sitting Chilly

Few will be envisaging a turn-up in Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas at The Curragh with Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's Winter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) fully entitled to short-price favouritism on her showing in the Newmarket Classic three weeks earlier. Having dominated a strong renewal of the 1000 Guineas which included her G1 Fillies' Mile-winning stablemate Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and G3 Nell Gwyn S. scorer Daban (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), this task will be viewed by many as straightforward. However, history shows that surprisingly only two have completed the Newmarket-Curragh Guineas double with Attraction (GB) (Efisio {GB}) being the first to do so in 2004, with a filly of the calibre of Minding (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) also getting beaten 12 months ago. Aidan O'Brien saddles four including the Fillies' Mile runner-up Hydrangea (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who beat Winter by a head when the ground was on the soft side in the G3 Ballylinch Stud 1000 Guineas Trial over seven furlongs at Leopardstown Apr. 8.”Winter has done well since Newmarket and is really thriving. She progressed from her first run to Newmarket and we think she has progressed again,” commented the Ballydoyle handler, who with six wins in this Classic is just one off the record of Hubert Hartigan. “We were disappointed with Hydrangea at Newmarket and hopefully she will come back and run better.”

Mick Halford's Irishcorrespondent (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) ran a solid race in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday and his Rehana (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) comes into this off a quiet preparation with confidence high. She beat the useful Rose de Pierre (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) by 2 3/4 lengths in the G3 Athasi S. over seven furlongs at Naas May 1, having finished third to Hydrangea and Winter in the 1000 Guineas Trial. She may be compromised by the heavy rain that has arrived in Kildare. “Fingers crossed everything has gone to plan, we've had a great run with her lately,” Halford said. “It was nice to see her previous form with Winter boosted, but now we have to go and try to beat her now. She's progressed this season and is a lot stronger. She loves good ground and is in great form. She's a good couple of lengths better on good ground.”

Like Hydrangea, Intricately (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was disappointing in the 1000 Guineas, finishing 12th after helping to force the pace but she beat that rival, Rhododendron and Rehana in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. here in September and is entitled to respect along with the May 7 G3 Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial winner Bean Feasa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the unexposed Aneen (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}). The latter has not been seen since winning by 4 1/4 lengths in a seven-furlong maiden here in October and that was on good-to-yielding, so the Shadwell homebred should handle any ease in this surface. “She's in good form and I think she'll run a big race,” trainer Kevin Prendergast said. “We haven't been able to get a run into her this spring. It just didn't happen because of one or two niggly little things, but she's been away and she's working very well at the moment. She's a good filly and I think she'll run very well.”