Colin Keane will hope classic trends continue in Saturday’s Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas as Ireland’s champion jockey has been snapped up for the ante-post favourite Field Of Gold.
Runner up to Ruling Court in the Newmarket Guineas earlier this month, Field Of Gold will bid for classic consolation in the Curragh’s €500,000 highlight.
Field Of Gold’s sire Kingman managed that feat in 2014 after an unlucky defeat at Newmarket. Two of the last three Irish Guineas heroes – Native Trial (2022) and Rosallion a year ago – also went one better at the Curragh.
That Newmarket defeat cost Field Of Gold’s former jockey Kierean Shoemark his job as number one rider to John and Thady Gosden who said they would instead adopt a “best available” policy.
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In Keane’s case that comes with superb local knowledge. The six-time champion jockey landed the Curragh Guineas five years ago on Sisken for Field Of Gold’s Juddmonte ownership. He also won the Irish Derby for Juddmonte on Westover after replacing Rob Hornby.
Keane regularly dons Juddmonte’s famous green and pink silks in Ireland including at Naas on Sunday when victorious on Babouche in the Lacken Stakes.
A day later it was confirmed that the Gosden team have got Keane for their grey star.
“I’m delighted to be asked to ride him, he looks a very good ride going into the race, I’m very much looking forward to it,” said the 30-year-old Irish rider.
“The Juddmonte colours are those that growing up watching racing, you know who they are. I’ve been very fortunate to win two classics wearing them and a couple more Group Ones and I’m just delighted to be asked to ride the colt at the weekend.
“Winning the Irish Guineas a few years ago for Ger (Lyons) was one of my best days. It’s such a huge race and Juddmonte hadn’t long been in the yard, he was their first Group One together. To get a horse of Siskin’s calibre very early on was very special and for him to then go and win a classic was very special,” he added.
Field Of Gold is a general 8/11 favourite to emerge on top in Saturday’s first Irish classic of 2025 although the complexion of the race will become more clear following Tuesday’s acceptance stage.
The Juddmonte team has already nailed their colours to the mast though and confirmed that Field Of Gold will be joined in the Guineas field by both Cosmic Year and the outsider Windlord.
Oisin Murphy will be on board Cosmic Year who maintained his unbeaten record in a Listed contest at Newmarket last time.
Another high profile cross-channel challenger could be Rashabar. Bryan Meehan’s runner landed last year’s Coventry Stakes and has been runner up in his three starts since, including last month’s Greenham at Newbury behind Jonquil.
The home defence is likely to include Joseph O’Brien’s Scorthy Champ who was out of the frame in Newmarket and Hotazhell, a late withdrawal from the French Guineas by Jessica Harrington due to quick ground conditions at Longchamp.
Lake Victoria tops betting lists for Sunday’s 1000 Guineas but Juddmonte have a major player in the fillies’ classic too.
Swelter is on course to try to deliver the operation created by the late Prince Khalid Abdualla with a first ever success in the race. Trained next door to the track by Dermot Weld, Swelter is unbeaten in two starts and will again be ridden by Chris Hayes.
Saturday’s Curragh card is set to clash with Kildare’s Joe McDonagh Cup clash with Down which has a 2pm start in nearby Newbridge, although track officials played down the likelihood of any significant impact.
“We will manage that in terms of people being able to see the match at the Curragh if they want to see it,” said the course’s chief executive Brian Kavanagh.
“The GAA fixture list is an ever present during the summer and this is a round-robin game as opposed to knockout. I don’t think it will be a big factor.
“You also had the situation where the rugby finals were usually on that day and Leinster were knocked out. So, there’s a benefit to an extent of there being no Irish team in the rugby,” he added.
