2023 Curragh 1000 Guineas Meeting Tips – DS
2023 Curragh 1000 Guineas Meeting Tips
Saturday was another shitshow of the highest order. Not one of our five bets got close to a place, including the front running Bold Discovery who was dropped out last and stayed there. Our decent spell at York is starting to feel like a distant memory at this stage but tomorrow is another day. 2023 Curragh 1000 Guineas Meeting tips are below.
1.45 – Irish EBF Fillies Maiden (2yo)
My form reading skills seem to have deserted me so we may as well give this 2yo maiden a go. I’m torn between two. John O’Donoghue’s 2yos often outrun their odds and Miss Black Jack is by the red hot Soldier’s Call. Ronnie Whelan is on board and she is tempting at 22/1. However, Jim Bolger has a fine record in this race and his filly is by Teofilo, one of my favourite sires.
She is a first foal out of a Vocalised full sister to 2yo winner Steip Amach and a half sister to the useful Ceisteach. The former horse handled soft and good ground while Ceisteach loved it rattling quick. Teofilo’s progeny are usually pretty versatile regarding ground so the conditions don’t worry me too much.
Since the year 2002 two trainers have won this race more than anyone else. Aidan O’Brien and Jim Bolger have five wins apiece, with Bolger most recently successful in 2021 with She’s Trouble. I’m not sure why Glor Tire has been chalked up at 33/1, hopefully the money comes for her tomorrow and she runs a big race.
2023 Curragh 1000 Guineas Meeting Tips: Glor Tire e/w @ 33/1 NB
2.15 – Irish EBF Filles and Mares Handicap (90 = 10st)
Off a mark of 84 it is worth giving Sioux Spirit one more chance to show she has trained on. By Sioux Nation, she made her handicap debut in an 8k race over 5f at Cork last time. She broke well enough on the outer and even though she only finished 9th of 10, she was less than 4l behind the winner. I’m not sure a fast 5f like Cork plays to her strengths and hopefully, 6f at the Curragh on good ground should be more up her street.
She has run over C&D before and it was close to a career best in a solid maiden. She finished ahead of American Sonja (now rated 100), Jer Batt (now rated 91) and 0.75L behind the 92 rated winner Daamberdiplomat (beat 2.5L here on Sat). Her win came over the stiff 5f on good ground at Navan where she had Jer Batt almost 2.5L behind in 3rd.
I’m hoping that soft ground was to blame for her last run of 2022 and her comeback in 2023. I don’t think Condon would have run her in G3/Listed company unless she was pretty talented and maybe he was using Cork as a prep run for this far more valuable race (15k). Billy Lee owes us one after his ride on Bold Discovery, hopefully he can steer Sioux Spirit into the frame at 25/1.
2023 Curragh 1000 Guineas Meeting Tips: Sioux Spirit e/w @ 25/1 (4 places)
2.45 – Tattersalls Gold Cup (Group 1)
This looks a three way tussle between Bay Bridge, Luxembourg and Arc runner up Vadeni. They are priced up at 5/2, 7/2 and 11/10 respectively and I wouldn’t argue with those odds. The French raider won the Eclipse on fast ground at Sandown last season (Bay Bridge 4L behind) and this looks a decent opportunity to pick up another G1 and another quarter of a million in prize money.
Luxembourg should improve plenty for his comeback and he’ll like the decent ground too. If Vadeni misfires, he could be the one to benefit but there’s not much juice in his odds. Piz Badile could surprise with a big run at 28s on this ground but with just two places for e/w players, he’s passed over. No bet.
2023 Curragh 1000 Guineas Meeting Tips: No Bet
3.15 – Lanwades Stud Stakes (Group 2)
Honey Girl is the 3/1 fav for this race for Joseph. She’s been in great form this season, winning twice. However, both those wins came on testing ground. Two of her three turf runs on good have been well below that level and the daughter of Mayson could be vulnerable. Joseph’s also runs Jumbly and Goldana. The former won on her last start of 2022 on fast ground and Ryan Moore looks an ominous booking. Mikey Sheehy is on Goldana, a heavy ground winner here last month.
Insinuendo is best with cut in the ground but Just Beautiful will relish the conditions. She is 2/3 on fast ground with her sole defeat coming when not disgraced in the G1 Falmouth. With question marks about the ground for quite a few, she should probably be shorter than 9/1 for Twomey and Lee.
Ken Condon’s Spring Feeling will also enjoy the conditions. She was beat 3.75L in a Listed heat at Newmarket on her return three weeks ago (6f gd/sft). Previously, she had form figures of 3213 on good, including a 3rd in a 7.5f Tipp G3 last August (Honey Girl 2.5l behind). A mile on this track should suit her given how she finished off that day and given the ground concerns for many of her rivals, she is the e/w bet at 20/1.
2023 Curragh 1000 Guineas Meeting Tips: Spring Feeling e/w @ 20/1 NAP
3.50 – Irish 1000 Guineas (Group 1)
The Stevos’ effect has caused Aspen Grove, our 25/1 ante-post bet for this race, to drift out to 66s in a place. Stack’s other runner, You Send Me, is into 20s. That filly has shown her best form on soft ground though and as far as I’m aware, Mark ‘Fish’ Enright would have had the pick of the two. Colin Keane is on You Send Me and Enright is on our selection, a C&D winner on good ground. I’ll be having a little more on at 66s, you can read my reasoning for fancying her here.
To be honest, if Tahiyra has come on for her comeback she is going to be very hard to beat. Dermot Weld’s filly was beaten by Mawj in a head bobber at Newmarket and she was reportedly short of fitness. Meditate is better than she showed at Newmarket and she looks the biggest danger back on faster ground. The rest look to be playing for place money, hopefully Aspen Grove can nick that 3rd spot.
