Tuesday primed for big Sunday in Irish 1000 Guineas

Sunday, May 1, in England was not quite the day for Tuesday, but Sunday, May 22, in Ireland might be.

Tuesday looks like the leading hope to give trainer Aidan O’Brien his 11th win in the Group 1 Irish 1000 Guineas. She’s one of four Aidan O’Brien-trained entrants among 14 3-year-old fillies entered in the one-turn-mile classic at The Curragh.

O’Brien has won this race three years in a row, four times in the last five years, and five of the last eight years. It’s fair to give extra attention to his entrants. And Tuesday brims with promise. In her lone start at 2, Tuesday was defeated a head by the good filly Discoveries, and she was an impressive winner over 16 rivals March 27 at Naas in her 3-year-old bow.

O’Brien boldly entered Tuesday in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket and the filly finished third of 13, chasing wire-to-wire leader Cachet and coming off the bridle with about three furlongs to race. Put to pressure, Tuesday made up some ground on the leader before slightly wilting through the race’s uphill finish. Tuesday, with Ryan Moore taking over riding duties from Frankie Dettori, should be better for the effort and might prefer racing around a turn to going straight.

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O’Brien’s other three entrants are History, Concert Hall, and Lullaby, a longshot likely to be used to ensure an honest pace. Concert Hall needs a step forward to truly contend – which is not impossible – while History as of Friday was a general 6-1 shot with British bookmakers. In her Guineas prep, History rallied past the well-regarded Agartha to post a solid victory, though Agartha, trained by Joseph O’Brien, might be the more talented filly. Agartha likes to run freely and was taken back May 8 in the Cornelscourt Stakes, pulling dramatically for her head in the early stages, which sapped her finish. She’s likely to be forwardly placed Sunday.

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Trainer Dermot Weld has four Irish 1000 Guineas wins of his own and sends out a very live chance Sunday in Homeless Songs. Homeless Songs beat Agartha on April 2 in her lone start this season, showing off a wicked turn of foot that quickly carried her from the tail of the field to the front.

Co-featured on the Sunday card is the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, and this renewal of the 1 5/16-mile contest for older horses is a strong one, headed by Lord North, Alenquer, and State of Rest.

Lord North, trained in England by John and Thady Gosden, twice has been to Dubai and raced in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Turf, but this marks his first trip to Ireland. Lord North was a game dead-heat winner March 26 of the 1 1/8-mile Dubai Turf, though he has yet to win beyond 1 1/4 miles.

Alenquer beat Lord North over the all-weather surface at Lingfield in February but did not quite run to form finishing sixth last out in the 1 1/2-mile Sheema Classic in Dubai.

State of Rest brings a three-race, three-continent Group 1 winning streak to the race, having captured the Saratoga Derby, the Cox Plate in Australia, and the Prix Ganay in France.