With Gstaad, O’Brien captured the Irish 2000 Guineas for a 13th time

With Ryan Moore aboard, the Coolmore colt answered in the best possible fashion at The Curragh, drawing off to score by three lengths

After coming up just short at Newmarket, Gstaad found redemption in the best possible way this Saturday in the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas (G1-1600m, turf), where he unleashed all of his quality to hand trainer Aidan O’Brien yet another Classic victory at The Curragh.

The son of Starspangledbanner, who at two had already captured prestigious events such as the Royal Ascot meeting and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Del Mar in the United States, arrived in Ireland after finishing second behind Bow Echo (Night of Thunder) in the English 2000 Guineas Stakes (G1).

And just as Field Of Gold (Kingman) had done the year before, he transformed that silver medal into an emphatic Classic coronation.

With Alparslan (Dandy Man)—winner of the Greenham Stakes (G3)—setting the pace alongside Power Blue (Space Blues), Gstaad traveled smoothly and comfortably under Ryan Moore, positioned just behind the leaders throughout.

Everything changed when Moore began asking him to improve approaching the final 400 meters.

At that point, the favorite unleashed a devastating turn of foot.

With a huge, powerful stride, he quickly left the rest of the field without answers and ultimately powered clear to defeat the Godolphin pair Distant Storm (Night of Thunder) and Pacific Avenue (Dubawi) by three lengths.

“He got a very good run from the draw,” Moore explained. “He was able to race wide, comfortably and without traffic. From halfway I started asking him to gradually improve, and when he can use that huge stride, he really is an impressive horse.”

The jockey also highlighted the consistency the colt has shown from the very beginning of his career.

“He deserved a win like this. He’d been second several times and never really ran badly. Last year some things simply didn’t go his way, but now he’s come back a big, strong horse with plenty more improvement ahead of him.”

Moore additionally praised O’Brien’s work, particularly regarding the colt’s mental development.

“His mind is in an incredible place, and nobody works on that better than Aidan. I remember him as a young horse, and seeing how much confidence he’s gained says a lot about the trainer.”

The victory marked Moore’s fourth success in the race following triumphs aboard Gleneagles (Galileo) in 2015, Churchill (Galileo) in 2017, and Paddington (Siyouni) in 2023.

Gstaad also added another remarkable statistic by covering the distance in 1:35.69, establishing a new race record and eclipsing the mark set by Desert Prince (Green Desert) back in 1998.

For Aidan O’Brien, it represented no fewer than his 13th victory in the Irish 2000 Guineas, and the trainer’s dreams for Gstaad now turn toward the St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) at Royal Ascot, where a spectacular rematch with Bow Echo could await.

“He’s a lovely, uncomplicated horse,” O’Brien said after the race. “Ryan gave him a perfect ride. He’s genuine, honest, and very straightforward.”

The trainer explained that Moore felt the colt was slightly “lazy” through the early stages, though everything changed once he found room to unleash that enormous stride.

“When Ryan got him into the clear, he responded brilliantly all the way to the line,” summarized the Irish trainer.

O’Brien also recalled that Gstaad arguably deserved much more during his juvenile campaign, when he finished second in three Group 1 races before finally securing his breakthrough victory in the Breeders’ Cup.

“We felt he’d been unlucky in several of those defeats,” he explained. “Sometimes when a horse finally wins a Group 1 after several seconds, they don’t come back the same horse, but we always believed there were special circumstances in each of those losses.”

According to the Ballydoyle master, the key with Gstaad is allowing him enough room to lengthen his stride.

“He needs space to get rolling. When races become too tactical or the pace is slow early, it can complicate things for him. But now he’s stronger, and The Curragh suited him perfectly.”

Far from avoiding future challenges, O’Brien practically invited everyone to Royal Ascot.

“Hopefully Bow Echo comes, and the French horse too. Let them all come—that’s what this sport is about,” he said. “There’ll be plenty of pace, and we’ll see what happens...”