The Irish 2000 Guineas is the feature race at the Curragh on Saturday, and Ryan Moore is expecting Wembley to bounce back as he discusses his five rides...
From a good family but testing ground an unknown
13:45 - The Acropolis
He is from the first crop of Churchill out of a speedy mare who finished third in a Queen Mary. The 2yos have been going well so let's hope he carries on the good work. But obviously the testing ground is going to play a big part this weekend, with an inspection at 7.30am on Saturday morning. In all of my time riding at the Curragh I can't readily recall them having an inspection. It is going to be very tough out there.
Happy to have ridden either of Aidan's but I do like Cadamosto
14:15 - Cadamosto
He was due to run at Naas last weekend but the ground got too soft for him, and there must be a danger of that being the case again here. Let's hope not as I thought he was very good when winning for me at Dundalk from a couple of horses with experience on his debut. This will obviously be tougher, but he looks a pretty good, sharp sort and I am looking forward to finally getting on him again. Caravaggio colt The Entertainer also has to be greatly respected after winning on his debut at Navan last week, and he has clearly come out of that race well to be pitching up here. He picked up really well to win at Navan and looks a smart prospect. I'd happily have ridden either, to be honest, but I did like Cadamosto at Dundalk.
On a retrieval mission but softer ground will suit
15:20 - Wembley
Our three colts are on a retrieval mission after the 2000 Guineas, though to be fair I thought Van Gogh shaped very well there on ground that would have been too quick for him, and this deeper surface will really play to his staying strengths.
Clearly, Wembley and Battleground didn't run up to expectations at Newmarket but we know both are much, much better than that and Wembley is another colt who will prefer this softer ground. He just wasn't himself at Newmarket and I wasn't hard him on there once his chance had gone at the 2f pole. It was soft when he finished second to the French Guineas winner St Mark's Basilica in the Dewhurst, and we anticipate better from him and Battleground here.
On his 2yo form, Wembley is bang there, but clearly he has to bounce back here against the likes of Newmarket winner Poetic Flare, and his stablemate MacSwiney could be a factor here on this ground too, stepping back in trip from the Derrinstown.
Hoping the step up in trip will suit
16:25 - Elizabethan
She clearly didn't run up to her best over 7f here last time, though it was in Group 3 company and she faced a stiff task, but she had earlier finished second to an improver at Gowran and has place claims on that run. Soft ground seems to suit her well and the dam was a Group 1 winner over 1m2f in the Pretty Polly here, so hopefully the step up to 1m for the first time will suit.
Should go well off this mark
17:30 - Montego Bay
She broke her duck in good style last time and trip and ground are probably fine here, though whether she wants it quite this deep we will soon find out. I rode her when she finished a good second to a next-time-out winner here earlier in the month and I'd say she should be pretty competitive here off a mark of 85. She should go well.
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