The next legs of the 2025 Classic campaign take place at the Curragh this weekend, with the County Kildare venue staging the Irish 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas. With the John and Thady Gosden-trained Field Of Gold and Harry Charlton’s unbeaten Cosmic Year heading the Irish 2,000 market, the Brits look to have solid claims of landing the colt’s contest. However, whilst not impossible, wresting the Irish 1,000 Guineas from Irish clutches may prove a little tougher.
Whereas the raiding party occupy the top two spots in the betting market for the colts’ event, the home team fills the first two positions in the one-mile fillies’ Classic. Topping the bill is a filly who looked all set to take the three-year-old division by storm, only to disappoint on her seasonal return.
Lake Leads O’Brien Charge
Whether in the colts’ or fillies’ division, few horses matched the exploits of the Aidan O’Brien-trained Lake Victoria during her stellar juvenile campaign. Unbeaten in five outings at two, the daughter of Frankel claimed Group 1 events over six furlongs, seven furlongs, and a mile. To score at the highest level over just one of those distances represents a fine achievement for a youngster. To claim a top-tier contest over all three suggested that we may have something a little out of the ordinary on our hands.
Having picked up wins in the Moyglare Stud Stakes and Cheveley Park Stakes, she rounded off 2024 by showing the Americans how it’s done in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Despite those efforts, Lake Victoria was only the second choice in the market ahead of her seasonal return in the 1,000 Guineas, with Aidan O’Brien’s suggestion that she was only just ready to return possibly ringing in the ears of punters.
In the end, O’Brien’s warning proved worth heeding. Whilst not running a bad race, the mount of Ryan Moore was some way below her scintillating best in finishing sixth, two and a half lengths behind Desert Flower.
With another three weeks of training under her belt, it seems reasonable to expect an improved display on Sunday afternoon, but will it be enough to hand O’Brien a record-extending eleventh win in the race? The market suggests it might, with Lake Victoria trading as the clear favourite for the €500,000 event at a general price of 5/4.
Swelter Too Hot For Rivals?
Septuagenarian handler Dermot Weld can’t quite match O’Brien’s double-figure tally of wins in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. However, the locally based trainer is the best of the rest in the modern era, with an impressive six triumphs. Having landed back-to-back editions with Homeless Songs in 2022 and Tahiyra in 2023, could he make it lucky number seven in 2025? He just might.
Going in the Juddmonte silks, Swelter could add to a spectacular weekend for the owners if either Field Of Gold or Cosmic Year claim the colts’ event 24 hours earlier. In addition to her racing colours, this unbeaten filly also shares a sire with the Irish 2,000 hopefuls in the shape of Kingman. With the ex-John Gosden star blowing his rivals away over this course and distance in the 2014 Irish 2,000 Guineas, she certainly has the right sire for the task at hand.
Away from her breeding page, Swelter has also looked the part in her two previous outings at the track. Announcing herself to the world with a 12/1 success in her maiden in July of 2024, she made her belated return in the Group 3 “Priory Belle” Stakes at Leopardstown in March. Aidan O’Brien’s Exactly was expected to land that contest but had no answers to Swelter, who powered a length and a half clear on the run to the line. This represents a significant step up in class, but at a general price of 9/2, the betting suggests she is the biggest danger to the market leader.
Sangster Duo Lead Rading Party
Just three fillies make the trip over from Britain for the 2025 Irish 2,000 Guineas, two of whom hail from the Wiltshire yard of Ollie Sangster. Unlike Swelter, who has yet to face Lake Victoria, both Flight and Simmering lined up in the English 1,000 Guineas, and both finished ahead of the O’Brien runner.
Newmarket 1,000 Guineas 2025 Full Result
| Position | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Desert Flower | Charlie Appleby | William Buick | Evens |
| 2nd | Flight | Ollie Sangster | Oisin Murphy | 28/1 |
| 3rd | Simmering | Ollie Sangster | Dylan Browne McMonagle | 33/1 |
| 4th | Elwateen | Saeed bin Suroor | Jim Crowley | 22/1 |
| 5th | Chantilly Lace | Ralph Beckett | Rossa Ryan | 25/1 |
| 6th | Lake Victoria | Ryan Moore | Aidan O’Brien | 9/4 |
| 7th | Red Letter | Ger Lyons | Colin Keane | 15/2 |
| 8th | Hey Boo | Jack Channon | George Bass | 50/1 |
| 9th | Duty First | Archie Watson | Hollie Doyle | 22/1 |
| 10th | Remaat | Andrew Balding | Jason Watson | 125/1 |
Sent off at odds of 28/1 and 33/1 at Newmarket, punters placed little faith in Flight and Simmering. However, the duo belied those market expectations to finish second and third, separated by just one length at the line. With no Desert Flower to contend with, Sangster will have high hopes of claiming a first career Group 1 success in this prestigious event.
Others to note in an enthralling lineup include Donnacha O’Brien’s late supplementary entry Atsila, the once-raced City Of Memphis, and Duty First, who disappointed at Newmarket but had previously looked like a filly to follow in the Fred Darling Stakes. Can Lake Victoria bounce back? Will Weld add another notable success to his stellar CV? Or can Britain plunder the pot? We will find out at 3:40 pm on Sunday.
