IRISH GUINEAS- SATURDAY: ANY NUMBER of sub-texts run beneath the surface of today's Boylesports Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh but boil it all down and Henrythenavigator looks the bet to confirm his epic Newmarket defeat of New Approach.
Just a nose separated the pair three weeks ago on the Rowley Mile and uncertainty about the merit of Henrythenavigator's victory can be gleaned from the fact that New Approach has been ante-post favourite to reverse the result all week.
Throw on top of that the reality that official ratings have New Approach 5lb clear of Henry and it's easy to understand the widespread anticipation of Ireland's first classic of 2008. But there is more to this Guineas than all that.
Henrthenavigator is attempting to join the exclusive club of just six horses who have completed the English-Irish 2,000 Guineas double in modern times.
His trainer, Aidan O'Brien, is attempting even more exclusivity. Victory for one of his three runners today will mean a fifth win in the race which will match the record set by his Ballydoyle predecessor, Vincent O'Brien.
In contrast New Approach's trainer Jim Bolger has yet to win the 2,000 Guineas and has made great play of stressing his desire to put that right, controversially ruling out his champion two-year-old from a tilt at the Epsom Derby in the process.
It is 17 years since Star Of Gdansk came closest to winning the Guineas for Bolger when he was defeated by Fourstars Allstar. And the crucial factor in the trainer possibly having to settle for another runner-up spot looks like being the forecast fast ground.
Such a surface will be ideal for Henrythenavigator who landed last year's Coventry Stakes on good to firm. It's a much different story for others, especially Famous Name whose preference for dig could see him taken out of the race altogether.
In contrast it is a much less straight-forward question for New Approach. The reality though is that the fastest he has officially run on to date is "good" and odds of 11 to 8 with the big-race sponsor seem short in that context.
Stubbs Art is a cross-channel supplementary entry who has four lengths to make up on Newmarket form while a watching brief is probably the best advice regarding Jupiter Pluvius.
It wouldn't be the biggest surprise if Jupiter Pluvius maintained his unbeaten record but John Murtagh understandably sides with Henrythenavigator. In the conditions maybe the rest of us should too.
Myboycharlie is unproven on fast ground but the Prix Morny winner gets his sprinting career under way in the Greenlands Stakes and despite the surface, his 122 rating is hard to get away from.
An official 113 mark also makes Arch Swing a stand out in the Group Three Ridgewood Pearl Stakes. John Oxx's filly has some top-class Group One placed form from last year and is expected to break her top-flight duck at some stage this year. This looks an ideal kick-off to her season.
