Ireland: 1000 Guineas double for Finsceal Beo

Finsceal Beo landed her classic double in the Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh on Sunday, but Dylan Thomas went down to defeat in the Tattersalls Gold Cup after a prolonged battle with Notnowcato.

The winner of the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on May 6, Finsceal Beo had suffered a heartbreaking head loss to Darjina in the French equivalent at Longchamp just a week later. Perhaps feeling the effects of so many top class races in such a short period of time, the Mr. Greeley filly had to work harder than ever to hold off the 66-1 Dimenticata by a neck in the Curragh 1000.

The 9-10 favorite, Finsceal Beo led through the final furlong under Kevin Manning to duplicate the the feat of Attraction, who in 2004 was the last filly to pull off the English/Irish 1000 Guineas double. The winning time for the mile on good-to-firm ground was 1:39.33, more than three seconds slower than that recorded by Cockney Rebel in winning Saturdays Irish 2000 Guineas.

The second favorite, Arch Swing, second to Finsceal Beo at Newmarket, finished a tailed-off last of 11.

Trainer Jim Bolger has no plans for resting Finsceal Beo at this stage. While the one-mile Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 22 is under consideration, he is also thinking of trying her at 1 1/4 miles against older fillies in the Curraghs Pretty Polly Stakes on June 30.

In the Group 1, $403,230 Tattersalls Gold Cup, Notnowcato and Dylan Thomas fought out a ding-dong battle, with Notnowcato prevailing by a head, as Youmzain chased them home in third, four lengths in arrears. The winner, trained by Michael Stoute and sent off at 7-1, covered the 1 5/16 miles in 2:16.21.

While Dylan Thomas, the 1-2 choice who was coming off a handy score in the Group 1 Prix Ganay at Longchamp on April 29, was expected to win, Notnowcatos victory was hardly a shock. A 5-year-old son of Inchinor, Notnowcato had beaten Dylan Thomas by 3 3/4 lengths into fourth in winning the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York in August. His fourth-place finish behind Red Rocks in the Group 3 Gordon Richards Stakes on April 27 was hardly a preview, however, for his performace on Sunday. His connections are contemplating either the Prince of Waless Stakes at Royal Ascot or the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park as the next stop for Notnowcato.