THE Irish Guineas can produce a new star, like Paddington in 2023, but recently the first two classics has been more about Newmarket form being confirmed and that was the way this year.

Five of the six placed horses in the two Guineas at the weekend had their last run in the Newmarket equivalents, starting with Gstaad who ran out a comfortable winner of the 2000. The pace here was decent, as two sharper ones in Power Blue and Alparslan made the running, neither getting home and that suited Gstaad who came off the bridle before more but responded typically well to pressure.

Gstaad tends to hit a brief flat spot in his races, but that means that the stiff Ascot track will suit him better than most, and it was interesting to read Aidan O’Brien say that Ryan Moore felt he was never better than at Royal Ascot last year. He has every chance of reversing form with Bow Echo there next month.

The Newmarket third Distant Storm got a lot closer to Gstaad in first-time cheekpieces without suggesting he would ever reverse form with him, though the Newmarket fifth Thesecretadversary was unlucky not to finish a lot better than sixth, getting no run down the inner from stall one and finishing with more to give. He settled well this time and has a bigger performance in him.

1000 Guineas

Newmarket form was even more dominant in the 1000 Guineas, three fillies from that race pulling well clear and looking at cut above the rest. True Love was a well-backed favourite to land the double and got a dream run through the race from stall one, the field surprisingly opening up for her from early on while she also got a lead from Abashiri.

Even with that good trip, True Love made hard work of getting past the Godolphin filly who looks more of a 10-furlong type, perhaps not in the same form as last time, Ryan Moore reporting that she hung a little late in the race.

That said, she had a huge task on to beat Precise who took a massive step forward for her first run back and put up the best performance of her career despite not having things go her way.

Quickening sharply

Unlike the second and third, she raced in rear of a group that came up the middle of the track, quickening up sharply despite having nothing to bring her into the race to win going away.

This was impressive and she showed a lot of speed, something that would make the Oaks trip a concern, and perhaps 10 furlongs will prove her optimum.

The third Group 1 over the weekend was the Tattersalls Gold Cup where Minnie Hauk was about the only Ballydoyle disappointment of the two days. She had been uneasy in the market beforehand and had no obvious in-race excuses, coming there with every chance three furlongs out before a watery response.

Steady gallop

She was slightly lame afterwards, and Aidan O’Brien was inclined to blame a steady gallop too, though the rider on the winner Almaqam, Kieran Shoemark, was quick to adapt to that situation. His mount was initially in rear, but he moved up to press the pace early in the race, a good decision given the first and second were up there throughout.

Almaqam looked to be travelling worse than Bay City Roller in the straight but responded generously to pressure and deserves plenty of credit as he came here off an interrupted preparation and is thought to prefer slower ground.

AWAY from the Group 1s, there were a trio of winning performances from horses that should be competing at the top table sooner rather than later.

Purview only won a listed race, the Orby Stakes, but he was the most impressive winner of the weekend, travelling powerfully in mid-division before settling the race quickly to win by six lengths, eased down in the final half-furlong. The performance is worth upgrading as he came off a steady gallop at a meeting where horses on the pace dominated races on the round track and seemed to have no problem with the 12-furlong trip, something that had looked a worry at three. His trainer has been quiet, this was his first winner on turf in 2026, and perhaps this will kickstart things.

Sprinter

Comanche Brave had hinted he might be a sprinter in his three-year-old season, and it was a bit surprising that connections stuck to seven furlongs and a mile for so long before setting him the stiffest task possible down in trip, travelling halfway around the world to take on Ka Ying Rising at Sha Tin.

He ran well there but stepped up again to win the Greenlands Stakes easily and in a good time so it all may be about to work out. He may only have been beating the second tier of British sprinters but looking at the results of the Group 1 sprints in Europe last season, there may be no top tier, and he seems as likely a winner of a top-level race as any now he has found his best trip.

Played to strengths

City Of Memphis was not as impressive as Purview or Comanche Brave in winning a messy Lanwades Stud, four lengths covering 11 fillies and mares, but her improvement this season has been sharp, and the speed-favouring conditions played to her strengths.

Conversely, they were all against her stablemate One Look who found things happening too quickly before keeping on into fourth, but this was an excellent return with a view to going back up to 10 furlongs, and unusually some of the Twomey runners have been improving for their first start so there should be more to come.

THERE were some terrific handicaps over Guineas weekend, but none was more dramatic than the Habitat over six furlongs on Saturday.

Headmaster got up in a tight finish up the near rail, track position there and a high draw looking a big advantage as the first three home were drawn 17, 16 and 21 but even so there were reasons to be positive about all three.

Headmaster was travelling smoothly in rear when waiting for a gap a furlong from home, quickening up sharply when getting it. He would have been an unlucky loser, and he is in excellent hands to keep improving in races like this, though his run style means he will need the breaks in future.

First run

The runner-up Fort Vega was having his first run since Galway last year and went like a horse who had form over further, bumped at the start and soon in rear but sustaining a strong move from before halfway right to the line.

The third Aviatrice is another that stays further and is well-treated relative to her all-weather mark, this run confirming her adept on turf too, while the fourth Back Down Under has been unlucky not to win a race of this nature yet. Returning from a break, she did best of the low draws and travelled typically well to lead on the far side from over a furlong out before getting caught late. Please Padraig Roche, consider dropping her to five furlongs as that might be her best trip.

Hard luck

With 22 runners, there were plenty of hard luck stories in behind. I Bid You Ajou was an obvious one, never getting to open up in the closing stages before finishing seventh, while both Ado McGuinness runners were better than the result.

City House raced in rear and had nowhere to go from over a furlong out before finishing well. He is in better form than his recent figures suggest, and seven furlongs might be his best trip. Go Athletico is more of a natural sprinter, and though finishing 15th here got no chance at all, repeatedly meeting trouble. His previous run at Naas has worked out well and he is on a good mark.