It is 18 years since Aidan O'Brien began his record-breaking classic career with a Curragh Guineas double and it will be a surprise if Gleneagles isn't capable of securing what could be the first leg of another double in Saturday's Tattersalls Irish 2, 000 Guineas.
With Found heading the betting for Sunday’s 1,000 Guineas, the potential exists for Ireland’s champion trainer to pull off this weekend’s classic double for a fifth time in all although it is a double of a different sort that revolves around Gleneagles.
Aiming
O’Brien is aiming at a 10th victory in the colt’s classic – and a 33rd Irish classic in all – but only Rock Of Gibraltar (2002) and Henrythenavigator (2008) have previously managed to win at both Newmarket and the Curragh.
Only seven horses in all have pulled it off but Gleneagles’ claims for joining the Ballydoyle elite are hard to argue with.
A dominant winner at Newmarket three weeks ago, the possibility the son of Galileo can step up on that form again is obvious considering it will be just his second start of the season.
The English challenger Ivawood may not have been ideally suited by the draw at Newmarket but it’s hard to see him bridge the gap while drying ground at HQ is not ideal for the other main raider, Belardo.
Domestic rivals
Gleneagles
is all over his domestic rivals on ratings so looks to have cast-iron claims of providing
Ryan Moore
with a first win in the race and the start of a potentially memorable weekend.
The star sprinter Sole Power has a first start in Ireland in almost four years in the Group Two Wetherbys Greenlands Stakes, a warm-up for a hat-trick attempt on next month’s Kings Stand at Royal Ascot, and another chance to secure an elusive first success at six furlongs.
"He's not a reality TV star or anything, but he does have a following and for the people of Ireland to get the chance to see him will be nice," trainer Eddie Lynam said.
The veteran is joined by another proven Group One-performer in Gordon Lord Byron but both could wind up chasing up Mustajeeb who has a first start at six furlongs since his juvenile debut.
The Jersey winner was third on this day last year in the Guineas but could be targeted at sprints this season and further drying ground should help him.
Dermot Weld can also take the other Group Two, the Lanwades Stud Stakes, with the unbeaten Brooch. She has graduated through the ranks in three races to date and looks a type to thrive even further as a four-year-old.
An unraced daughter of Galileo sporting the name Ballydoyle is always going to attract attention and there will be major interest around her debut in the opening maiden.
However she isn’t the first to emerge from the world-famous yard bearing the evocative name. In 1981 a son of Northern Dancer, bearing that name, and a then world-record $3.3 million price-tag, managed to hit the heights of winning a Naas maiden.
