Hours before the Kentucky Derby, the European Classic season gets under way at Newmarket, where 15 3-year-olds are set to run one mile down a straight course in the English 2000 Guineas.
Aidan O’Brien has trained the Guineas winner four of the last six years and, in total, 10 times during his career, but while he’s represented Saturday by three runners, two among the favorites, his son Joseph O’Brien has a very live chance to win his first 2000 Guineas.
Paul Lally:
R1 9-6-10-3
R2 1-10-6-2
R3 6-9-4-7
R4 5-4-2-3
R5 7-5-1-2
R6 6-4-1-2
R7 6-9-3-1
R8 11-5-3-9
R9 8-4-2-10
Best Bet R9 N8 Super Axiom
Longshot R5 N7 Fa Fa
Plays R5 QQP 1-5-7
Mark McNamara:
R1 9.11.2.10
R2 10.2.6.1
R3 7.1.9.4
R4 2.11.5.7
R5 5.4.2.1
R6 6.4.8.1
R7 7.9.3.6
R8 5.4.11.10
R9 4.8.2.12
Best Bet R6 N6 Triple Triple
Paul Lally:
R1 3-4-6-10
R2 5-4-3-13
R3 1-10-7-9
R4 11-3-10-5
R5 1-6-10-11
R6 13-2-4-10
R7 1-2-5-3
R8 7-6-1-4
R9 13-2-10-4
R10 7-1-12-4
Best Bet R8 N7 loves Only you
Longshot R9 N13 Super Football
Play Q R8 6-7
Mark McNamara:
R1: 2.10.3.6
R2: 4.5.3.13
R3: 1.10.7.9
R4: 7.1.10.2
R5: 1.6.13.12
R6: 13.10.12.2
R7: 1.2.4.3
R8: 6.1.7.4
R9: 2.7.11.10
Race by race in his brief career, the New Zealand-bred gelding Through Irish Eyes has improved with longer distances in five starts this year in Australia.
Through Irish Eyes was sixth in a maiden race at seven furlongs at Pakenham in his debut in January, beat maidens in his fourth start at 1 3/8 miles at Sale Racecourse on March 28, and was second by three-quarters of a length to Liqueuro in his stakes debut in the Galilee Series Stakes Final at 1 1/2 miles at Caulfield Racecourse on April 10.
Masked Crusader has chased two of Australia’s leading sprinters in Group 1 races during a busy span in the last two months.
A winner of 5 of 11 starts, the 4-year-old Masked Crusader has run well enough in those races and other recent starts to merit the role of favorite in Saturday’s $461,580 All Aged Stakes at seven furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Australia.
Daring Tact did something last month common to nearly all racehorses in the world, but a first for the Japanese filly: She lost consecutive starts.
The two-race losing streak may only be a temporary blip on her record. Daring Tact is widely expected to win her first start away from Japan in Sunday’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong.
Wren’s Day is a 7-year-old Kentucky-bred gelding who finished second in the Group 1 Prix Ganay at Longchamp Racecourse in France in 2018.
Since early 2019, Wren’s Day has been based in Australia, first with trainer James Cummings and this year with Cody Morgan. Wren’s Day has had a good year, winning once and finishing second in three starts.
Splendiferous has had a few starts and stops to her career in Australia in the last 13 months, but there are encouraging signs in the last month that conditions are improving for the filly.
Splendiferous won her fifth career start in a maiden race at Newcastle Racecourse on March 31, her first start since September, and is back at Newcastle on Thursday for her debut against winners in a seven-furlong handicap for fillies and mares.
