Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas (Group 1)

AIDAN O’Brien’s classic fortunes were turned around dramatically in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas as the fast-improving Paddington raised his game to a new level to get Ballydoyle’s three-year-olds up and running on the Group 1 stage for 2023.

With O’Brien having drawn a blank in the Newmarket and ParisLongchamp equivalents, including well below-par efforts from top performers Auguste Rodin and Little Big Bear, it was a big result for the Rosegreen team to land the €500,000 prize, while also completing the 1-2 with a major return to form from Cairo, who left behind a UAE Derby disappointment to post a career-best.

Paddington’s victory as a well-backed 3/1 chance meant O’Brien bridged his joint-biggest gap between wins in this race in his career, striking in the Tattersalls-backed contest for the first time since Churchill’s success in 2017. In total, it was the record-breaking trainer’s 12th win in the opening Irish classic of the campaign.

A considerable shift in ground conditions was the greatest unknown when it came to the Siyouni colt’s Curragh bid, having notched all three of his wins on yielding to soft, soft and heavy ground.

However, it proved no barrier to success and he ran out a clearcut two-length winner under Ryan Moore, who had his mount well positioned towards the leaders despite getting away a little slowly.

The stewards did hold an inquiry into interference to Qipco 2000 Guineas runner-up Hi Royal from Paddington, but no action was taken and the winner was able to replicate Awtaad’s route to Irish 2000 Guineas glory by winning the Madrid Handicap and Tetrarch Stakes en-route.

British raider Royal Scotsman, who was supplemented into the race at a cost of €50,000 earlier in the week after news of Al Riffa’s absence, ran no sort of race and was said to be sore on both front feet when returning home from this ninth-placed finish.

Major progress

O’Brien said: “I’m so delighted for everybody at home - it’s a big team of people and I’m delighted for the lads. We went to Ascot first time with him and he was very babyish. Then he came back and won a maiden very easily here with Seamus [Heffernan].

“He wintered very well and we were very happy with him in the spring. He ended up in the Madrid on a lovely mark [of 97]; it was a lovely place to start him off over seven furlongs, even though the ground was soft.

“Then he came back here and won the Tetrarch on soft ground again so we weren’t really sure about the ground with him. Obviously he’s a Siyouni out of a Montjeu mare. He was always a beautiful mover but you are never sure until they do it.

“Seamus loved him the last day and he had been doing everything really nice since. He’s a fine, big horse and is maturing very well. Ryan gave him a brilliant ride; they were a little slow away but Ryan got his position very quickly on him and he didn’t light him up to do it. He’s very good looking type sourced from Deauville. He’s very exciting.”

O’Brien described the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot as what would look to be the “natural progression” for Paddington, who is second in the market at 3/1 for that race behind impressive 2000 Guineas winner Chaldean at 6/4.

Royal Ascot beckons

“He doesn’t look short of speed even though he will get further in time,” said O’Brien.

“He travelled like a dream. When Ryan asked him he did quicken, but he’s still a little bit of a baby and probably would have learned a lot today from quickening on that ground.”

Moore was recording his third win in the race, following victories aboard Gleneagles (2015) and Churchill (2017).

He said: “Paddington was very good. He’s come along a different route to some Guineas horses, although Awtaad did the same as him. I thought his final 100 yards were his best and he’s an unexposed horse. We don’t know quite where he’ll end up but he’s a high-quality colt.

“He’s still learning and has got a lot of talent. He’s got a really good turn of foot. He’s a different type of horse to Gleneagles and Churchill, who were very professional Group 1-winning two-year-olds. This horse had only won a maiden last season. He’s getting better and I would like to think he’s going to be better still towards the end of the year.”