Steinbeck a novel choice for Irish 2000 Guineas
The away fixture at Newmarket may not have been a success but Aidan O’Brien is a man who always appears more at ease at home.
O’Brien has six runners for the Abu Dhabi Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday and Steinbeck looks to be the pick. He has been drawn in stall six, which was the same box that Mastercrasftsman broke from when he became the trainer’s sixth winner of the Classic 12 months ago, and his trainer will be hoping for a champagne performance rather than something close to author John Steinbeck’s vintage novel, The Grapes of Wrath.
However, there is more than mere coincidence to back up Steinbeck’s claims. He was spoken of in positive terms by O’Brien before he made his racecourse debut just over a year ago at Naas, where he beat Gold Bubbles (who underlined that form by her second in last week’s Musidora Stakes) by two-and-a-half lengths, but Steinbeck did not race again until the Dewhurst Stakes last October.
The form of the Dewhurst was somewhat discredited at the time, with the first four home covered by around a half-length, but, coming back from a five-month layoff, Steinbeck looked the one to take from the race. He hit the gates running, leaving Johnny Murtagh with the dilemma of trying to rein him back or let him bowl along.
Murtagh took the latter option and Steinbeck led until his lack of race-fitness told in the last hundred yards. His performance told observers all they needed to know, however, that was the last they saw of Steinbeck. Another setback ruled him out of the 2000 Guineas but the Irish Guineas could be the moment when O’Brien pulls another ace from the pack.
There are doubts over whether he can be expected to win first time out, given the patchy nature of stable form this spring. However, he did win on debut as a two-year-old and this season both Midas Touch and Cape Blanco have won first time out this season and Steinbeck may well be in that class – or even better.
The most obvious danger is Canford Cliffs, who was one-and-three-quarter lengths third to Makfi in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket three weeks ago. After three successive defeats his demolition job when he won the Coventry Stakes last June by six lengths is somewhat dimming in the memory and there has to be a chance that he is more of a sprinter than a miler.
Speaking on his website, his trainer, Richard Hannon, said: “Doubtless, the Ballydoyle plan is to try and exploit any chinks in our stamina, but none of us have ever had any doubts about Canford Cliffs's ability to get the mile, and we are going there with our tails up.
“Canford Cliffs worked brilliantly for Hughesie [Richard Hughes] on Wednesday morning. It was the best gallop that he has produced this season, and Richard got off and said that he was finally getting the same sort of feel that the horse gave him before Royal Ascot last year.”
Looking slightly further down the list Noll Wallop, who beat Viscount Nelson by three-and-a-half lengths in the Leopardstown 2000 Guineas Trial in March, could be one for the places.
The Group Two betfred.com Temple Stakes at Haydock Park looks wide open. Equiano only had three-quarters of a length to spare over Borderlescott in the Group Three Palace House Stakes at Newmarket –the fast-improving Blue Jack was just a half-length behind that pair — and Benbaun is still a force to be reckoned with judged on his run at Longchamp on Sunday.
Total Gallery faces a stiff task with his 7lb Group One penalty, for winning the Prix de l’Abbaye at Lonchamp last October, but Kingsgate Native –a dual Group One winner – gets into this race without such a burden. He has needed his first run for the last two years but there were excuses for that 12 months ago (had returned from an abortive stallion career) and his two-and-a-half-length beating of Total Gallery at Goodwood last August (with Borderlescott, Equiano and Reverence all behind) makes him the choice.
In the Betfred Silver Bowl, Our Joe Mac will be trying to go one better than when being beaten a nose at Chester’s May meeting, where he was finishing best off all after having to make up ground from an outside draw. However, Huygens caught the eye when finished two-and-three-quarter lengths third to Fallen Idol in the Esher Cup at Sandown last month and could be on a winning handicap mark.
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