ONE OF the most famous partnerships in Irish racing will team up again in Sunday’s Boylesports Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh when Michael Kinane rides Luminous Eyes for his old boss Dermot Weld.
Luminous Eyes will be one of three Weld-trained runners in the fillies Classic and with Pat Smullen riding Dance Pass for his retainer, the Moyglare Stud, the Curragh trainer has turned to his old ally to ride last year’s Group Three winner.
Pat Shanahan will be on board the third Weld runner, Rare Ransom. “Michael was stable jockey here for 15 years and we had some great times together,” Weld said yesterday. “I think the last time he rode for me was when Agnetha won the King George Stakes at Goodwood (2002.)”
During his time as stable jockey at Rosewell House, Kinane and Weld teamed up to win top-flight races throughout the world, most famously with Vintage Crop’s win in the 1993 Melbourne Cup and Go And Go’s 1990 Belmont Stakes victory. They also won the Irish 1,000 Guineas 21 years ago with Trusted Partner.
Weld yesterday committed Famous Name to Sunday’s Tattersalls Gold Cup and will make a late decision about Casual Conquest joining him in the Group One event. “I just want to wait and see until Friday when we have to declare. I’d like to know the overall situation and we haven’t decided on plans for Casual Conquest just yet,” he said.
Johnny Murtagh is set to team up with the ante-post favourite Again for Sunday’s Irish 1,000 Guineas. Murtagh will ride Mastercraftsman for Aidan O’Brien in Saturday’s 2,000 Guineas but it is understood he will desert the Ballydoyle filly Heart Shaped, who he rode into fourth at Newmarket, in favour of Again in the fillies Classic.
The former champion jockey is hoping to break his duck in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on board the David Wachman filly who is as low as 5 to 2 market leader with the big race sponsors. Murtagh picked wrong in last year’s 1,000, riding Kitty Matcham in favour of Halfway To Heaven who won a thrilling finish under Seamus Heffernan. He did, however, land the 2,000 on Henrythenavigator.
Another former champion jockey hoping to land the 1,000 Guineas will be Declan McDonogh who has come in for the ride on the Mick Channon trained Lahaleeb.
The filly’s regular rider Darryl Holland is suspended and Channon’s original plan to use Ryan Moore instead has had to be scrapped with Michael Stoute now not sending Tartan Bearer for the Tattersalls Gold Cup.
Channon is willing to forgive a lacklustre run by Lahaleeb in the Newmarket Guineas on her last start.
She remains as low as 7 to 1 for Sunday’s race with some bookmakers.
“I think it is fair to draw a line through the English Guineas as the ground was much too quick. She couldn’t let herself down on it. With any luck the conditions will be much more suitable at the Curragh,” Channon said yesterday.
