Gstaad returns to the winner’s circle, Credit Breandán Ó hUallacháin
Gstaad gave Aidan O’Brien a 13th success in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, part of a treble for the trainer, and one part of a four-timer for rider Ryan Moore.
Breandán Ó hUallacháin
Gstaad delivers for Coolmore
Gstaad won the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh, Co Kildare, Ireland, on Saturday afternoon for trainer Aidan O’Brien, jockey Ryan Moore and owners, the Coolmore partners.
Runner-up in the Betfred 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, England, on his seasonal reappearance, the son of Starspangledbanner, started today’s Group 1 race at prohibitive 4/11 favourite odds for the one-mile classic, the first of the 2026 Irish flat racing season.
Running close to the lead for much of the race, it took a while for last season’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner to answer Ryan Moore’s urgings from the saddle. Once he did, however, the result of the race wasn’t in doubt as the Ballydoyle-trained colt moved away from the remainder of the field, to record a three-length victory at the line.
Distant Storm (5/1), from the Charlie Appleby yard in Britain and in the ownership of Godolphin, was bidding to give young rider Billy Loughnane a first Irish classic success, but the chestnut son of Night Of Thunder, who was eight lengths behind Gstaad at Newmarket, finished second today, two lengths adrift of the winner.
Appleby also provided the third-place finisher as 40/1 chance Pacific Avenue, a grey son of Dubawi, was next to pass the wire, one length behind his stable companion. The Godolphon-owned colt was ridden by Irish-born Britsh-based rider Jamie Spencer.
Causeway is now four-time winner
O’Brien, Moore and the Coolmore owners quickly completed a Group double with the victory of Causeway (5/6 favourite) in the Group 3 The Heider Family Gallinule Stakes half an hour later.
Previously a three-time winner from four races, the three-year-old son of Wootton Bassett just held off the determined challenge of the Natalia Luipini-conditioned Zia Zabel (12/1) by a neck.
The runner-up, ridden by Billy Lee, was two lengths ahead of the race pacesetter Shaihaan (10/1) at the winning line.
“We knew he’d stay very well,” admitted Aidan O’Brien. “I left the cheekpieces off him today, when he was going up to a mile-and-a-quarter, and he is very lazy. (Ryan Moore, jockey) was very happy with him. We always thought as he went up (in trip) he would get better.”
Commanche Brave lands Greenlands Stakes
Commanche Brave returned to The Curragh to take a two-length success in the Group 2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes over six furlongs.
Last seen when finishing fifth to top Hong Kong horse Ka Ying Rising in the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize Stakes at Sha Tin on 26 April, the four-year-old son of Wootton Bassett held off the challenge of Curragh specialist Big Gossey (18/1), as the nine-year-old stayed on to finish two lengths behind the winner for trainer Charles O’Brien, son of the legendary Irish trainer Dr Vincent O’Brien, and jockey Billy Lee.
The winner, owned by Muhaideb A Almuhaideb, has entries in two Group 1 races at Royal Ascot, England, next month. He is entered in the Queen Anne Stakes on 16 June and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes four days later.
The winning handler, Donnacha O’Brien, stated of his star sprinter:
“It’s our first few goes back at 6 (furlongs) with him, so he’s going to keep getting better. He was nearly very good horse over a mile, and I thought he could be proper horse (when) back sprinting.”
Another winner for Wootton Bassett
The Tally Ho Stud Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden over fix furlongs went to the Aidan O’Brien-handled Sergei Diaghilev.
The 4/6 race favourite, ridden by Ryan Moore, is a son of the late Coolmore stallion Wootton Bassett and is a full-brother to Endorsement, a winner over nine furlongs.
Speaking to the media after the first race of the 9-race Saturday card, winning trainer Aidan O’Brien stated:
“He only stepped into main work in the last two weeks, and he did a nice piece of work last Saturday. We ran him because we thought he could be a Coventry (Stakes at Royal Ascot) horse, Ryan (Moore, jockey) wasn’t sure if he was going to know enough in time.”
Winning this afternoon on debut, Sergei Diaghilev was continuting the excellent recent record of the Ballydoyle trainer, who took this same race for the past three seasons.
Switching Codes (12/1) from Jessica Harrington’s yard, was second, under Shane Foley, with 9/2 chance Folsom Blues a further two-and-a-quarter lengths back in third for Joseph O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle.
Purview wins for Belmont Stakes Legend Weld
The British-bred Purview (4/1) impressively claimed the Sherry Fitzgerald Country Homes Orby Stakes for owners-breeders Juddmonte Farms.
Trained by former Belmont Stakes-winning handler Dermot Weld, and ridden by Juddmonte’s retained jockey, Colin Keane, the son of Kingman ran out an easy six-length victor in the mile and a half Listed contest.
The race favourite, Trustyourinstinct (5/2) took the runner-up spot under Declan McDonagh, while Arouet, a winner of a maiden hurdle at Cork on his last racecourse appearance, took third, in the hands of Billy Lee.
