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O'Brien Bidding for Hat-Trick of Irish 2000 Guineas Wins
21/05/10

Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O'Brien is set to saddle an amazing six of the 13 contenders for Saturday's Abu Dahbi Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh, including leading market fancies Steinbeck and Fencing Master, writes Elliot Slater.

Fencing Master
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After confirming the two ante-post betting market principals as definite runners, O'Brien will also saddle Viscount Nelson, Encompassing, Dynasty and Purple Heart in the prestigious Group 1 mile contest. The Irish training sensation is bidding for his third successive win in the Curragh feature following the successes of Henrythenavigator and Mastercraftsman in the last two renewals. He will be hoping the lightly raced Steinbeck, last seen when finishing a close-up fourth in the Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket last October, can justify his handler's high opinion of him with a bold show.

Steinbeck met with a couple of minor setbacks last term that restricted him to just a couple of racecourse appearances and, having been prepared with the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket in mind, he once again suffered a slight setback which ruled him out of the Group 1 Rowley Mile event. Now reportedly back to the form that got all of Ballydoyle excited last year, Steinbeck appears the first string of the O'Brien sextet, but there is no doubt that Fencing Master is also held in high regard and this is reflected in the racing odds.

With more experience under his belt, it would not come as the greatest shock in the world if Fencing Master, seventh in the Newmarket classic three weeks ago, got the better of Steinbeck, and the pair will also have to be on their guard from the leading British contenders Canford Cliffs and Xtension, third and fourth respectively at Newmarket.

With the Newmarket form already upheld by the fine subsequent effort of runner-up Dick Turpin in the French equivalent, the Irish 2000 Guineas this year looks well up to par and should prove a race to savour.