Irish 2000 Guineas Tips, Betting Offers and Odds

After the English 1000 Guineas and 2000 Guineas earlier in the Flat season, mid to late May each year sees the running of the Irish 2000 Guineas at The Curragh. Here we take a look at some of the best odds and offers available, as well as providing our tips for the first Classic of the Irish season.

This €300,000 contest at the Curragh was first held in 1921 and is run under identical conditions as its English counterpart, being a one mile Group 1 contest restricted to three year olds. Note we’ve also got tips and offers for the Irish 1000 Guineas.

Irish 2000 Guineas 2019 Race Preview and Betting Tips

The Irish 2000 Guineas is one of Ireland’s premier flat racing contests. Like its Newmarket namesake, the race takes place over 1 mile and is run at Group 1 level. Although winners have kicked on to win at middle distances, pace is vital to have any chance of claiming what is a three-year-old mile long race of the highest calibre.

Mouthwatering Battle Between Two Guineas Principles

The Irish 2000 Guineas has always been a very highly regarded race which has produced some extremely high class winners. In recent years it’s been won by Churchill, Gleneagles and Kingman, each of whom required a strong performance to win, but rarely has there been such a buzz about a head to head clash following the news that Magna Grecia and Too Darn Hot will face off at the Curragh.

Magna Grecia is the favourite on Saturday following on from his win in the 2000 Guineas. The fact that the top five in the ante post betting did not make it to Newmarket undoubtedly helped Magna Grecia as did a draw bias which was far too strong for a race of this calibre. However, it would be a mistake to take anything away from the performance of Aidan O’Brien’s charge even if he still has to prove himself in the eyes of some judges.

Beating the highly regarded Too Darn Hot would certainly do wonders for Magna Grecia’s reputation. The John Gosden-trained colt was one of the biggest juvenile stars of last year and it was a big disappointment that he was unable to take part in the 2000 Guineas. Gosden even claimed that Too Darn Hot’s first performance of this season at York came a little too soon for him. If you are willing to accept that as an excuse for him not winning when the evens favourite, Too Darn Hot must surely look a great bet Irish 2000 Guineas.

Connections Hopeful Skardu Will be Given a Fair Crack

Connections of Skardu were entitled to feel as frustrated as those of any other horse in the 2000 Guineas field. Their charge ran a very good race to claim third at Newmarket but by the time he kicked for home he had no chance of catching Magna Grecia and King Of Change on the other side of the track.

Skardu had proven his credentials for the 2000 Guineas by winning the Craven Stakes earlier in the season and it’s that sort of performance which makes him the main danger to the top two in the Irish 2000 Guineas betting. Whether or not he can get the better of one or both of the favourites remains to be seen but Skardu certainly has enough about him to be the best of the rest which makes an each way bet tempting at odds of 8/1 with bet365.

Betting Predictions

Magna Grecia and Too Darn Hot both look best suited to running over 1 mile and they’re both still improving so this really is shaping up to be a fascinating battle. This could be the start of a rivalry that extends to other huge races including the St James’s Palace Stakes so many will be content to sit back and just watch the action unfold.

Many more will be looking to profit from the race though. The bookies just about give the edge to Magna Grecia but it’s Too Darn Hot who makes the most appeal at odds of 7/4 with Ladbrokes now that he has a warm up race under his belt.

Previous Race Winners

2018 – Romanised – jockey Shane Foley, trainer Ken Condon
2017 – Churchill – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2016 – Awtaad – jockey Chris Hayes, trainer Kevin Prendergast
2015 – Gleneagles – jockey Ryan Moore, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2014 – Kingman – jockey James Doyle, trainer John Gosden
2013 – Magician – jockey Joseph O’Brien, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2012 – Power – jockey Joseph O’Brien, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2011 – Roderic O’Connor – jockey Joseph O’Brien, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2010 – Canford Cliffs – jockey Richard Hughes, trainer Richard Hannon, Sr.
2009 – Mastercraftsman – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2008 – Henrythenavigator – jockey Johnny Murtagh, trainer Aidan O’Brien
2007 – Cockney Rebel – jockey Olivier Peslier, trainer Geoff Huffer
2006 – Araafa – jockey Alan Munro, trainer Jeremy Noseda

Irish 2000 Guineas History

The most notable winner in the first 40 years of the race was the Mick Rogers-trained Hard Ridden. The bay colt only won twice in a five-race career but certainly seemed to save his best for the big occasion. The son of Hard Sauce followed up his win here with victory in the Epsom Derby, becoming the first Irish trained winner of the race in over 50 years in the process. Mick Rogers scored here again in 1964 with Santa Claus, with his bay colt continuing to deliver presents into the summer months, landing both the English and Irish Derbies.

The descendants of Hard Sauce fared rather well in this race. His grandson Right Track landed the contest in 1969 for John Sutcliffe. Right Track deserves a special mention here as he was the first horse ever to achieve the English and Irish 2000 Guineas double.

Peter Walwyn’s Grundy was the best winner of the 1970s. In addition to taking this race in 1975, he also landed both the English and Irish Derbies in his classic campaign. It is for coming out on top in an epic battle with Bustino in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes that he is best remembered however, with that race being universally recognised as one of the greatest of all time.

Saddlers Wells

1984 winner Saddlers Wells may not have been the greatest horse to ever take to the track, though he was certainly smart, but he does have sound claims of being racing’s greatest ever sire. In a truly remarkable career at stud, he was crowned Champion Sire 14 times, and produced numerous superstars such as High Chaparral and Montjeu, as well as Galileo who has taken up the baton as the king of sires. There are few horses who have proven to be more influential in the development of the thoroughbred.

Fergie Time

Sir Alex Ferguson certainly knew what he was doing when it came to managing football teams, it seems he is also a shrewd judge when it comes to buying horses. His Rock Of Gibraltar won this in 2002 before going on to post a world record setting seven consecutive Group 1 wins.

The victory of Henrythenavigator in 2008 marked the beginning of a period of dominance for trainer Aidan O’Brien. Between 2008 and 2015 O’Brien won this race no fewer than six times. With 11 wins in total prior to the 2018 renewal, he is the most successful trainer in the history of the race.

We have to go back quite a long way to find the leading jockeys here. Tommy Burns and Martin Quirke recorded five wins apiece between 1921 and 1948 and we don’t see that record being bettered anytime soon, although Joseph O’Brien or Ryan Moore may have a chance.