Curragh | Race 1: 2yo Maiden

The opener on Irish 2000 Guineas Day is a six-furlong colts and gelding’s maiden, where I ride SERGEI DIAGHILEV.

He’s by Wootton Basset out of Embellish, so he’s a full brother to Endorsement. He has been working well and has done some nice pieces of work in the lead-up to this.

Obviously, it’s his first run so we will be learning about him. Most of his opponents are making their debuts as well, so nobody knows quite where they stand really.

We run two others, Bold Commander, who is a No Nay Never out of Alphabet who’s shown plenty of pace, and South Dakota, who’s a St Mark’s Basilica out of Palace.

Curragh | Race 4: G2 Greenlands Stakes

My next ride comes in the G2 Greenlands Stakes, where I ride COMANCHE BRAVE.

He was last seen at Sha Tin when running behind Ka Ying Rising in the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize. He wasn’t disgraced, only being beaten six lengths by the best sprinter on the planet.

It’s a good race and it’s usually a good pointer to the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Powerful Glory was a big-price winner on Champions Day, so he needs to back that up, Bucanero Fuerte is a horse with high-class form – being a Group 1 winner in the past – as is Montassib. Spycatcher is rock-solid at this level, and you must respect Big Gossey at the Curragh too. It’s quite a competitive race but I believe Comanche Brave holds a good chance.

Curragh | Race 5: G1 Irish 2000 Guineas

In the Irish 2000 Guineas, I ride GSTAAD.

He’s done nothing wrong in his career; he’s a Coventry winner and a Breeders’ Cup winner as a two-year-old. He ran well in the 2000 Guineas when finishing second to Bow Echo, finishing eight lengths clear of the third Distant Storm who reopposes here, with Thesecretadversary and Power Blue further behind.

On that form, he’s very hard to beat and I’m looking forward to riding him. He deserves to win one of these and hopefully he can do that on Saturday.

Distant Storm was just behind us in the Dewhurst, and you could make an argument that he could get closer. Thesecretadversary did a few things wrong at Newmarket and could improve, whilst Alparslan is a Greenham winner that looks a nice type. Power Blue is a Group 1-winning two-year-old and he ran respectably in the 2000 Guineas, but he may be better over shorter.

Curragh | Race 6: G3 Gallinule Stakes

My last ride on Saturday is in the G3 Gallinule Stakes, aboard CAUSEWAY. He’s a progressive son of Wootton Bassett, who has won his last three starts, the latest being a Listed race at the track.

The step up to a mile-and-a-quarter looks as if it will suit, he has a super attitude, and he’ll likely be favourite here.

The biggest danger could be his stable companion Drop Dead Gorgeous. She’s a lovely, big filly that won on debut before not getting the clearest of runs last time in a Group 3 over a mile.

Shaihaan won a maiden over course and distance at the end of March and was fourth in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown. Mr Vettori was a long way behind Benvenuto Cellini last time at Chester, and it will be interesting to see how these horses all stack up with the different lines of form.