Irish 2000 Guineas

Saturday's Curragh card which features the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas is in doubt after 35 millimetres of rain hit the track overnight Thursday. With a morning inspection called, chief executive Pat Keogh is hoping for a turnaround with the course currently waterlogged in places. "We got a lot more rain than we anticipated overnight. We were forecast 15 millimetres at the most in the last 24 hours," he explained on Friday. "It's come completely out of left field, unfortunately. The track would not be raceable today. We'll just have...

The breeding rights in Prince Khalid Abdullah's homebred Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin (First Defence) have been sold to "a group of breeders", Juddmonte confirmed on Monday. Speaking on Sky Sports Racing, Juddmonte's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said, "Obviously there have been various rumours and talk, so to confirm, breeding rights have been sold to him to a group of breeders. Confidentiality means I cannot say anything further. He will continue to race in the name and colours of Prince Khalid for his racing career." Unbeaten in five starts...

While Khalid Abdullah's unbeaten Siskin (First Defence) is the current favourite for Friday evening's €250,000 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh, the G2 Railway S. and G1 Phoenix S. winner is far from the certainty that Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) appeared to be at Newmarket six days earlier and even that champion met with reversal at crunch-time. Connections will be hoping that the forecast rain does not make a major difference to the current fast conditions and the homebred enters his Classic test showing all the right signals. His biggest...

Khalid Abdullah's unbeaten Siskin (First Defence) will have 10 rivals to contend with in Friday evening's €250,000 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh after the draw was made on Wednesday. Successful in the G2 Railway S. and G1 Phoenix S. over six furlongs at the track last summer, the homebred is nevertheless on a retrieval mission having been taken out at the start of the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket when becoming upset in the stalls. Provided there is no repeat of that, he has a favourable draw...

Last year's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Siskin (First Defence) remains on course to kick off his 3-year-old season in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas on June 12. Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to owner Khalid Abdullah, said, "Providing Prince Khalid is happy, Siskin is heading to the Irish 2000 Guineas. [Trainer] Ger [Lyons] has been very positive and again everything has been straightforward and he is going really well. He has progressed well and though he will never be a big horse he has furnished nicely and Ger is very...

Sunday's Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup (2400m) at Sha Tin Racecourse is the last of 12 Group 1 events on the annual racing calendar in Hong Kong, one that has been significantly impacted first by social unrest in the region and more recently--and currently--by the COVID-19 pandemic. In many ways, Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) is emblematic of racing in the Special Administrative Region--a racehorse possessed of an iron constitution, showing up with his 'A' game time and again. One that can deliver his best even when the deck is...