Rain-softened ground at the Curragh was no barrier to Kingman atoning for his narrow defeat at Newmarket with a stunning victory in the Irish 2,000 Guineas on Saturday.
The Juddmonte homebred, who was sent off as 4/5 favourite, took up the running at the furlong marker and quickly forged clear of his rivals, to finish five lengths in front of the Richard Hannon-trained Shifting Power, with Mustajeeb coming home the best of the Irish-trained runners for Dermot Weld in third. His victory provided Khalid Abdullah’s retained jockey James Doyle with his first Classic success.
John Gosden has masterminded the career of the precociously talented Kingman, just as he did his dam, the Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winner Zenda. The Newmarket trainer walked the track in advance of the Classic and finally gave the Invincible Spirit colt the all-clear to run despite concerns over the going, which was officially described as Soft to Heavy.
Gosden commented after the race: “Two furlongs out, you could see he was cruising. He’s a very talented horse and it’s lovely to win a Guineas with him. This mile takes some getting in these conditions but he was ridden beautifully.”
