Ireland: O'Brien's Paddington notches Irish 2000 Guineas triumph
Aidan O’Brien’s two highly regarded 3-year-olds, Auguste Rodin and Little Big Bear, flopped three weeks ago racing over soft ground in the English 2000 Guineas at Newmarket. On Saturday, at The Curragh in Ireland, O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore won the Irish 2000 Guineas with a lower-profile colt named Paddington.
Getting a perfect pressing trip behind the easy pace of Hi Royal, Paddington took charge in the late stages and drew away to a two-length victory. Cairo, another O’Brien-trained colt, was along for second as third-place Hi Royal validated his second-place English 2000 Guineas finish at odds of 125-1.
The race’s big disappointment was Royal Scotsman, who was supplemented into the race after a troubled third just behind Hi Royal at Newmarket. Favored at 3-2, Royal Scotsman failed to quicken when taken outside for a run three furlongs from the finish and wound up ninth.
Paddington was the solid second choice despite the fact he had yet to start in a Group race of any sort, much less a Group 1. Beginning his campaign in a mere handicap, Paddington earned this Irish 2000 Guineas try with an encouraging win in the listed Tetrarch Stakes on May 1 at The Curragh and now, quietly, has four victories from his five outings.
By Siyouni out of Modern Eagle by Montjeu, Paddington is expected to face English 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean in the St. James’s Palace Stakes over a turning mile at Royal Ascot. Paddington got Saturday’s one-turn mile in a modest 1:40.80 while racing over good going.
O’Brien notched his 12th Irish 2000 Guineas win, though he had not won the race since Churchill’s tally in 2017.
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