Confirmed runners and riders for the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh

Goldolphin's Native Trail will face eight rivals as he bids for Classic redemption in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh (3.20) on Saturday.

The champion juvenile, second in the English 2,000 Guineas behind stablemate Coroebus three weeks ago, will be partnered by William Buick.

The Charlie Appleby-trained colt has by far the best form on offer and is a strong favourite to take home the Irish Classic with BoyleSports pricing him up at 4-11.

BoyleSports' Sarah Kinsella said: "There is some epic racing to look forward to at the Curragh this weekend and Native Trail is the 4-11 favourite to win the Irish 2,000 Guineas with support continuing to pile in for him to go one better than he did at Newmarket."

Irish 2,000 Guineas (3.20 Curragh): racecard and betting

Imperial Fighter, who finished a two-length runner-up to Coroebus in the Autumn Stakes at Newmarket last year, is the other British challenger for trainer Andrew Balding.

The biggest rival to Native Trail could be the Joseph O'Brien-trained Buckaroo, who shrugged off a short-head defeat to live Derby candidate Piz Badile over 1m2f by taking the Listed Tetrarch Stakes.

He finished four lengths clear of the reopposing Wexford Native, who goes for last year's winning connections Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning.

The Aidan O'Brien-trained Ivy League, last seen finishing second in the Group 3 Amethyst Stakes, is another unexposed contender alongside Atomic Jones, who drops in trip after a defeat to the Derby second favourite Stone Age in the Derby Trial Stakes at Leopardstown for Ger Lyons.

The field of nine is completed by Malex, New Energy and the Dermot Weld-trained Duke De Sessa.

Irish 2,000 Guineas (3.20 Saturday)

BoyleSports: 4-11 Native Trail, 7-2 Buckaroo, 10 Ivy League, 14 Wexford Native, 25 Duke De Sessa, 33 Imperial Fighter, Malex, Atomic Jones, New Energy

El Caballo and Go Bears Go to clash at Haydock

The rapidly improving El Caballo will face ten rivals in the Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes (3.10) at Haydock on Saturday.

The Karl Burke-trained colt has been faultless on the all-weather with victory in a Listed contest at Lingfield and a defeat of subsequent Listed scorer Tiber Flow on All-Weather Championship day at Newcastle.

Burke said: “El Caballo is in great form and he worked very nicely on Tuesday, so I’m very happy with him and I’m looking forward to seeing him run.

“I don’t think we’ve got to the bottom of him yet. It’s a very strong race and it will be a very truly run race as well, so we’ll know how good he is after Saturday."

It will not be straightforward task, though, with Go Bears Go, Group 1-placed as a two-year-old and an impressive winner on reappearance in the Commonwealth Cup Trial Stakes at Ascot, in opposition.

Also on the card is the Group 2 Temple Stakes (3.45), where a field of 12 has been declared in a race that was won by the brilliant Battaash in 2018 and 2019. Last year's Nunthorpe Stakes heroine Winter Power is likely to head the market on her reappearance.

Confirmed runners and riders for the Irish 2,000 Guineas

Atomic Jones Colin Keane
Buckaroo Shane Crosse
Duke De Sessa Chris Hayes
Imperial Fighter Ben Coen
Ivy League Ryan Moore
Malex Leigh Roche
Native Trail William Buick
New Energy W J Lee
Wexford Native Kevin Manning

Confirmed runners and riders for the Sandy Lane Stakes

Beauty Inspire Mark Enright
Caturra Adam Kirby
Edward Cornelius Sam James
El Caballo Clifford Lee
Ever Given Danny Tudhope
Flaming Rib James Doyle
Gis A Sub Kevin Stott
Go Bears Go Rossa Ryan
Wings Of War David Probert
Tippy Toes Joe Fanning
Vertiginous Tom Marquand

Confirmed runners and riders for the Temple Stakes

Ainsdale Graham Lee
Arecibo Rossa Ryan
Came From The Dark Tom Marquand
Existent Marco Ghiani
King's Lynn David Probert
Mondammej Cam Hardie
Moss Gill Kevin Stott
Twilight Calls Adam Kirby
White Lavender Clifford Lee
Winter Power David Allan
Last Crusader Danny Tudhope
AttagirlSam James

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