GLENEAGLES, Free Eagle and The Grey Gatsby will be among the star names in action at the Curragh next weekend.

Meaningful oppostion to Gleneagles in Saturday’s Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas looks thin on the ground. A Group 1 winner at two years at the course, Aidan O’Brien’s runner was an impressive winner of the Newmarket 2000 Guineas earlier this month. Following a series of unconvincing Derby trials in recent weeks, it had been suggested that Gleneagles could be stretched out to a mile and a half at Epsom but the trainer has ruled that out.

“There’s no way Gleneagles will be going to Epsom,” O’Brien said at York this week. “We haven’t had a horse like him for a long time. He’s an out-and-out miler.”

Dewhurst Stakes winner Belardo looks set to be one of the main threats to Gleneagles. Roger Varian’s runner was possibly unsuited by the very firm ground at Newmarket when well beaten in the Guineas.

Richard Hannon’s Newmarket third Ivawood is believed to be on course for the Curragh, though connections have said they are not relishing a rematch with Gleneagles and could decide to miss the race. Dermot Weld’s Tetrarch Stakes winner Tomeblaine is a likely runner.

FILLIES’ CLASSIC

The Coolmore partners also hold a strong hand in Sunday’s Irish 1000 Guineas, again sponsored by Tattersalls. David Wachman’s Newmarket winner Legatissimo remains a possible runner, backed up by a powerful O’Brien squad which includes Group 1 winner Found (an intended runner) and last Sunday’s impressive Leopardstown winner Kissed By Angels.

Among the interesting home-trained contenders are Michael Halford’s Group 2 winner Raydara (wants fast ground), Jessica Harrington’s Bocca Baciata and Dermot Weld’s Joailliere.

Jim Bolger says his midweek Group 3 winner Pleascach is a possible runner while Michael O’Callaghan plans to run Military Angel, a Roscommon maiden winner who finished third in a Leopardstown classic trial last month.

Joailliere is owned by Moyglare Stud, whose star older horse Free Eagle is due to run in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup on the same card. The Grey Gatsby will be the big draw in this 10-furlong race, his participation confirmed after a workout at York yesterday.

“The idea was just to get him away from home,” trainer Kevin Ryan told the Daily Express. “He did a nice piece of work, quickened up nicely and is on target for the Curragh.”

Winner of the French Derby and Irish Champion Stakes last September, The Grey Gatsby finished second over an inadequate nine furlongs in Dubai two months ago. “He’s a great traveller so Dubai didn’t really take anything out of him,” Ryan said.

“If he hadn’t gone to Dubai and the ground comes up very soft in Ireland, then his first run would have been at Royal Ascot so there was nothing to lose by going to Dubai. He ran fantastic, he was nice and fresh and we would have settled for that result going out there.”