A pair of stellar events for the classic crop have been lined up in Ireland this weekend. Of these, the first to be run will be the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas (1600 m., Gr.1), for which a field of 8 will assemble at the starting gate. Exactly half the runners hail from Ballydoyle, some 89 kms. to the south of Curragh Racecourse where the race will be run at 5:40 p.m. local (10:10 p.m. in India) on Saturday, May 21^st. Ballydoyle, as every fan of the international turf is aware, is the 600-acres property in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, which forms the training base of leading Irish schooler Aidan O'Brien, so dominant in the top events in Europe and occasionally further afield.

Unusually, O'Brien does not shelter the favourite for this race, that distinction going to Qipco 2000 Guineas winner, Galileo Gold (by Paco Boy), an inmate of Hugo Palmer's Kremlin Cottage Stables in Newmarket, who is aiming for a "Guineas" double. Should the talented chestnut succeed it would mark only the ninth occasion on which a three-year-old colt has achieved the dual honour, last recorded just a year ago by Gleneagles.

Frankie Dettori's mount, who runs in the silks of Al Shaqab Racing, has been the subject of an interesting genetic test which is supposed to have revealed that Galileo Gold is unlikely to stay the Epsom Derby distance. However, his connections are not convinced and he is still in the list of acceptors for the "Blue Riband of the Turf" on June 4^th. Anyway, that is a subject to be dealt with later and here all one can add is that the colt has done nothing wrong since he was last seen streaking home on a racetrack and so is worthy of his "favourite" tag. At the time of writing he is on offer at 13 to 8.

Of the remaining three runners not resident at Ballydoyle, the most likely to shine is Awtaad (by Cape Cross), the mount of Chris Hayes. Winner of his last three starts, the Kevin Prendergast-trainee will be steered by a rider who is well known to railbirds in India from his feats in the country during some 5 seasons in the last decade. "He's as good as anything I've sat on," Hayes is reported as having said, which suggests a serious amount of confidence in the 5 to 1 chance.

Blue De Vega (by Lope De Vega), at 9 to 1 and Sanus Per Aquam (by Teofilo) at 16 to 1, appear well held on paper, though of the pair the first-named might have a little more scope for improvement. This was echoed by Blue De Vega's rider, young Colin Keane, who volunteered: "He came out of his Tetrarch run well and there should be a nice bit of improvement in him."

That brings us to O'Brien's quartet. Whether it was the tongue strap that was fitted last time out that accounted for the poor run of Air Force Blue (by War Front) at Newmarket is not clear; at any rate that equipment has been removed here. Having won both the French and German "2000" in the last week, O'Brien and rider Ryan Moore will be aiming for a Guineas "hat-trick". Last year's champion two-year-old will be aiming to bounce back just as his stablemate Power had done in 2012. He is at 11 to 4 against.

Supporting him from his stable are Air Vice Marshal (by War Front), ridden by Seamie Heffernan and available at 13 to 2, Shogun (by Fastnet Rock), steered by Colm O'Donoghue at 25 to 1, and Bravery (by Galileo), with the trainer's son Donnacha O'Brien up at 33 to 1.  

As the ground conditions are expected to be reasonable despite hints of rain around, Galileo Gold should run well, while one can certainly hope that Air Force Blue is back to his best – on a track he is familiar with. Awtaad and Blue De Vega could possibly be involved in the finish.

The following afternoon, the corresponding race for three-year-old fillies, the Irish 1000 Guineas (1600 m., Gr.1) – also sponsored by Tattersalls – is down for decision with 17 acceptors at the time of writing. Oddly, it is the second race of an eight-event card so will go off really early at 1:55 p.m. (6:25 p.m. IST). Not all will start – the declaration stage has yet to be passed – but it seems quite clear that Minding won't participate and will head instead to the Investec Oaks in early June.

Despite leaving out his star, O'Brien will still feel confident of adding this trophy to his vast and ever-growing collection of silverware through the medium of Ballydoyle (by Galileo). Twice second to her higher-ranked stablemate, including in the Qipco 1000 Guineas earlier this month, this talented miss has every chance of securing the prize now that she will be running as the "first string" of the stable after whom she is named. Ryan Moore will be astride the evens favourite.

Quite confident in his ward's ability to prevail is Michael O'Callaghan, who has thrown his hat in the ring with Now Or Never (by Bushranger) to be ridden by none other than old India hand Kieren Fallon. Incidentally, the rider, who was prominent on the tracks of the sub-continent in the 'nineties, made a fleeting visit to Mahalakshmi in 2010 but could not add to his account. Which of course has nothing to do with his mount here, whom he rode to a pleasing victory in the Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown last month. She is the second choice at 7 to 2.

A runner from Coolcullen is always to be respected in a classic and here the Bolger/Manning team is likely to be represented by Turret Rocks (by Fastnet Rock). Runner-up to Ballydoyle in the Total Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp in France last October, the home-bred bay has less than a couple of lengths to make up on that rival in order for her to be able to turn the tables. That possibility translates into an 8 to 1 quote here.

Besharah (by Kodiac) could make a quick come back to action – she was a close fourth in the French "1000" just last week. In contrast the Aga Khan's Tanaza (by Dubawi), from Dermot Weld's yard adjoining the racecourse, has not been seen for 252 days but you can be sure she will be fit if she lines up. Another that would potentially be returning after just 7 days is Diamond Fields (by Fastnet Rock), runner-up in a Listed contest on that occasion.

When connections stump up a sum as large as €30,000 on a supplementary entry, one may reasonably expect a good run from the individual whose participation has been thus facilitated. This could be the case with the 14 to 1 Jet Setting (by Fast Company), a ward of the Adrian Keatley stable, who won’t have to travel far to get to the starting gate from her barn in close proximity to the Curragh.

Ballydoyle will be accompanied to the post by one or more stablemates – Californiadreaming (by Fastnet Rock), Coolmore (by Galileo), Even Song (by Mastercraftsman) and Pretty Perfect (by Galileo) are improving types still left in. With this firepower at his command, one would expect Aidan O'Brien to notch up his seventh victory in this race, the first of which he recorded in 1997.