Galileo Gold on course for Irish 2000 Guineas

Frankie Dettori is joyous as Galileo Gold wins the QIPCO 2000 Guineas. Picture courtesy of Racingfotos.com

Connections of Galileo Gold will decide his next QIPCO British Champions Series objective after he has run in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh on Saturday.

Hugo Palmer has intimated that he would like his brilliant QIPCO 2000 Guineas winner to stick at a mile, with the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 14 a favoured destination.

It seems unlikely he will instead contest the Investec Derby ten days earlier, though he retains an entry.

Aidan O’Brien is responsible for six of Galileo Gold’s 12 possible rivals. His team includes Air Force Blue, who beat one home in the 2000 Guineas after being sent off 4-5 favourite.

O’Brien has also left in The Gurkha, Air Vice Marshal, Bravery, Lieutenant General and Shogun.

Jim Bolger still has four hopefuls in Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner Moonlight Magic, Herald The Dawn, Sanus Per Aquam and Theodorico.

Kevin Prendergast’s Awtaad and the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Blue De Vega, who were first and second in the Tetrarch Stakes at the Curragh this month, are also in contention.

O’Brien has yet to finalise his plans for Sunday’s Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas.

Either scintillating QIPCO 1000 Guineas winner Minding or Ballydoyle, who was runner-up at Newmarket, will be his principal hope.

“We have left Minding in the race but she is not a definite runner and it is possible that Ballydoyle might run instead of her,” O’Brien said.