Founder & Editor · Last reviewed 2026-07-11
Two Coolmore Classics, one massive upset.
The 2026 Irish Guineas Festival weekend at the Curragh delivered three Group 1s, two Aidan O'Brien Classic wins, and the biggest favourite-flop of the spring. The two-day wrap, race-by-race:
| Day | Race | Winner | SP | Trainer / Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 23 May | Irish 2000 Guineas | Gstaad | 4/11F | A O'Brien / Ryan Moore |
| Sun 24 May | Irish 1000 Guineas | Precise | 7/4F | A O'Brien / Wayne Lordan |
| Sun 24 May | Tattersalls Gold Cup | Almaqam | 13/2 | Ed Walker / Kieran Shoemark |
Three editorial stories:
- Aidan O'Brien's Classic double — record-extending 13th Irish 2000G (Gstaad) + 12th Irish 1000G (Precise) in 24 hours. No British/Irish trainer has come close to this Curragh record.
- The Ryan Moore jockey-choice saga — Moore picked Precise at Newmarket (she flopped); switched to True Love at the Curragh (Lordan won on Precise). Two consecutive Coolmore Classics where the senior stable jockey was on the wrong filly.
- Almaqam's 13/2 Tattersalls Gold Cup upset — Ed Walker's first Tattersalls Gold Cup, Kieran Shoemark's biggest career G1, and a 9L beating for 4/6F Minnie Hauk. The world's highest-rated racemare flopped out of the placings.
The Curragh weekend reshapes four Royal Ascot ante-post markets (Coronation Stakes, Prince of Wales's, St James's Palace, King George VI) plus the Eclipse Stakes (Sandown, 4 July). Almaqam is now a Royal Ascot Prince of Wales's contender at 4/1-5/1; Precise is the Coronation Stakes question.
This piece walks through the three G1s, the form-line transfers, and what to watch through to the Coronation Cup (Friday 5 June) and the Epsom Derby weekend (5-6 June).
For full race reports see: Irish 2000G 2026 Result, Irish 1000G 2026 Result, Tattersalls Gold Cup 2026 Result.
Where to Bet
Place your bets with a trusted, licensed bookmaker.
Promo code BETFRED50. New UK & Gibraltar customers only, 18+. Register and deposit a minimum of £10 using debit card, Apple Pay or Truelayer Instant Bank Transfer (e-wallets and prepaid cards excluded). Place a first bet of £10 or more at minimum odds of Evens (2.0) on any sportsbook market within 7 days of registration. Once settled you receive 3 × £10 sports free bets plus £20 in Bet Builder free bets (World Cup structure, 8 June – 15 July 2026; reverts to 2 × £10 acca free bets, 4+ selections win only, from 16 July). Free bets are credited within 10 hours of qualifying-bet settlement and expire 7 days after credit. Free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. One offer per person, household, IP address and device. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
Promo code BET20GET10. New UK 18+ customers only. Minimum deposit £10 via debit card. Minimum qualifying bet of £20 at minimum odds of Evens (2.0) — single bet, settled in the same registration session. Bonus credited as 2 × £5 free bets: first paid automatically on settlement of the qualifying bet, second £5 credited 24 hours later. Free bets restricted to accumulators of trebles or greater at minimum odds of 4/1 per leg. Free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. Free bets expire 24 hours after credit. PayPal, Skrill, Neteller and Paysafe not supported sitewide. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
50% of your first-day net losses refunded as a free bet, capped at £25. New UK customers aged 18+ only — one offer per person, household, IP address and device. Customers registered with GAMSTOP cannot claim. Minimum deposit £10 via Visa Debit, Mastercard Debit, Apple Pay or bank transfer; PayPal, Skrill, Neteller and prepaid cards are not supported. KYC identity verification must be completed before the free bet is credited. Free bet is stake-not-returned. Verify the qualifying-stake threshold, minimum-odds requirement and free-bet expiry on QuinnBet's live welcome-offer page before claiming. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
New customers, 18+. Choose the sports bonus at sign-up, make a first deposit and receive a 100% bonus up to £50 in your Sports Bonus balance. To convert the bonus to cash, wager it 10x within 30 days. Single bets below Evens (2.00) do not qualify; accumulators do not qualify if any selection is below 1/2 (1.50). Virtual Sports, voided, cancelled, drawn, cashed-out and free-bet wagers do not count towards wagering. Only the first settled bet per event counts. Withdrawing before the wagering requirement is met forfeits the bonus balance including bonus winnings. Real-money funds are used before bonus funds. Deposits via Skrill or Neteller are not eligible. Not valid in conjunction with other promotions. Odds, bet and payment limits apply. 10bet general and promotion T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs.
New UK & Ireland customers, 18+. Opt in at registration (no promo code). Deposit £10+ by debit card and place a £10 fixed-odds qualifying bet at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.50) — single or each-way, not in-play and not cashed out. Receive £60 in bonuses: 3 × £10 fixed-odds free bets plus 6 × £5 sports spread bets, credited over consecutive days; free bets valid 28 days from issue. IMPORTANT: the 6 × £5 are SPREAD bets — sports spread betting carries the risk that losses can exceed your stake (Spreadex states 61% of its retail spread/CFD customers lose money). Sports spread-betting customers do not have Financial Ombudsman or FSCS recourse. A lone secondary advertises an 'up to £100' variant — always confirm the live terms on Spreadex's own sign-up page before opting in. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
Promo code WELCOME15. New UK customers, 18+. Register and place a first qualifying bet of at least £10 from your cash balance at odds of evens (2.0) or greater within 7 days of opening the account. Once the qualifying bet settles you receive £15 in free bets, credited as 3 x £5 tokens. Free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. Free bets expire 7 days after they are credited. One offer per person, household, IP address and device. Confirm the current terms on BetGoodwin's own welcome-offer page before claiming. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
New UK customers, 18+. Minimum deposit £10. Place a £10 qualifying single at minimum odds of 1/2 (1.50), settled within 14 days. Receive £30 in free bets (stake not returned). Free bets must be accepted within 7 days and expire 7 days after acceptance. No promo code required. Best Odds Guaranteed on UK & Irish racing. Operated by LiveScore Betting and Gaming (Gibraltar) Ltd, UKGC 56859. Confirm the current terms on LiveScore Bet's own promotions page before claiming. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply. Full T&Cs.
18+. BeGambleAware.org
The three Group 1s — race by race
Saturday 23 May — Irish 2000 Guineas (G1, 1m, 3yo c/g)
Gstaad (A O'Brien / R Moore, 4/11F) won by 3L from Distant Storm and Pacific Avenue (both Charlie Appleby / Godolphin). Per Sky Sports, the win was a "romp".
Three takeaways:
- Aidan O'Brien's 13th Irish 2000G, stretching the modern-era record across 29 years (Desert King 1997 → Gstaad 2026)
- The Newmarket form line confirmed: Bow Echo (Newmarket 1st) ranks one tier above Gstaad; Gstaad ranks well clear of the rest
- Royal Ascot SJP rematch with Bow Echo is the next chapter, Tuesday 16 June
Full race report: Irish 2000 Guineas 2026 Result.
Sunday 24 May — Irish 1000 Guineas (G1, 1m, 3yo fillies)
Precise (A O'Brien / W Lordan, 7/4F) won by 2½L from stablemate True Love (Ryan Moore). The pair traded fillies vs Newmarket — Moore was on Precise at Newmarket (7th) and switched to True Love at the Curragh (2nd). Lordan rode True Love at Newmarket (1st at 25/1) and switched to Precise at the Curragh (1st at 7/4F).
Three takeaways:
- Precise reversed the Newmarket form by 7½L in 21 days — a comeback proving the fever-scare narrative pre-Newmarket was real
- The Ryan Moore jockey-choice story — twice this spring Coolmore's senior jockey has picked the losing filly
- The Royal Ascot Coronation Stakes (Friday 19 June) is now a Coolmore rematch question; both fillies likely to declare
Per Racing Post's race report: "The market and Ryan Moore get it wrong as 'serious filly' Precise proves too good".
Full race report: Irish 1000 Guineas 2026 Result.
Sunday 24 May — Tattersalls Gold Cup (G1, 1m2½f, 4yo+)
Almaqam (Ed Walker / Kieran Shoemark, 13/2) won by 2L from Bay City Roller and Saddadd. 4/6F Minnie Hauk flopped to 5th, beaten 9L. The world's highest-rated racemare comprehensively out-stayed by Ed Walker's first-G1-of-the-year breakthrough.
Three takeaways:
- Ed Walker's first Tattersalls Gold Cup + Kieran Shoemark's career-best G1 ride
- Minnie Hauk's Royal Ascot Prince of Wales's prospects diminished — a 4/6F beaten 9L doesn't usually come back at the same trip
- Almaqam is now a Royal Ascot Prince of Wales's contender at 4/1-5/1 each-way, alongside defending Ombudsman
Per TDN's race report, Shoemark said: "The world is his oyster."
Full race report: Tattersalls Gold Cup 2026 Result.
The pattern across the weekend
Three of the four favourites at the Curragh weekend won (Gstaad 4/11F, Precise 7/4F) or near-won (True Love 11/10 → 2nd by 2½L) — but one heavyweight 4/6F flopped to 5th.
That's the 2026 spring favourite-flop pattern continuing:
- Time For Sandals 4/1F (Minster, 13 May) — 8th
- Amiloc 8/13F (Yorkshire Cup, 15 May) — 6th
- Rosallion 6/4F (Lockinge, 16 May) — out of top 5
- Minnie Hauk 4/6F (Tattersalls Gold Cup, 24 May) — 5th
Four short-priced favourites flopping in three weeks. The 2026 G1 market is not safe for backers of even-money or shorter prices. Each-way is the structural play across the next 6 weeks (Epsom Derby weekend, Royal Ascot, July King George).
Royal Ascot 2026 — what the Curragh weekend changed
St James's Palace Stakes (Tuesday 16 June, 1m, 3yo colts)
Bow Echo (G Boughey / Loughnane) at 7/4-2/1F defending + Gstaad (A O'Brien / Moore) at 9/4-5/2 is the new top-two. The Newmarket margin (2¾L) versus the Curragh margin (3L) suggests Bow Echo retains the form-line edge, but Gstaad's Curragh-confirmed quality removes the value gap.
The structural pick: Distant Storm (Appleby / Buick) at 4/1-5/1 each-way, after he ran 2nd at the Curragh and confirmed the Newmarket 3rd-place form line.
Coronation Stakes (Friday 19 June, 1m, 3yo fillies)
Precise (A O'Brien / Lordan, Irish 1000G winner) likely 6/4-2/1 alongside True Love (Moore, Newmarket winner). Both Coolmore-trained; both will likely run. Whichever Moore picks gets the senior-stable-jockey signal.
The structural pick: Evolutionist (K Burke) at 5/1-6/1 each-way as the chief non-Coolmore challenger; she was 2nd at Newmarket by 1¾L to True Love and has the form line to threaten the Coolmore pair at Royal Ascot.
Prince of Wales's Stakes (Wednesday 17 June, 1m2f, 4yo+)
Ombudsman (J & T Gosden) at 5/2-3/1 defending + Almaqam (Ed Walker / Shoemark) at 4/1-5/1 — the new market entrant. The Tattersalls Gold Cup form-line transfer is direct.
Minnie Hauk's Royal Ascot status is now uncertain. A 4/6F flop at 1m2½f doesn't read well for a 1m2f attempt at level weights against G1 colts. Coolmore likely re-route to the Pretty Polly (Curragh, 27 June) or step her up to 1m4f.
See The Fire (Balding / Murphy) at 12/1+ each-way — the back-to-back Middleton winner — is the structural value pick now that Minnie Hauk has dropped out of the conversation.
Gold Cup (Thursday 18 June, 2m4f, 4yo+)
No direct Curragh form-line transfer — Almaqam, Gstaad, Precise are middle-distance / mile horses. The Gold Cup market shape remains:
- Scandinavia (A O'Brien) 2/1F — Saval Beg-route
- Trawlerman (Gosden) 10/3 defending
- Sweet William (Gosden) 13/2
- Rahiebb (Varian) 7/1 — Yorkshire Cup winner, the each-way value pick
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Saturday 25 July, Ascot)
Almaqam is now a King George ante-post name at 6/1-8/1. The Tattersalls Gold Cup → King George conversion is approximately 1-in-3 historically. Walker / Shoemark are unlikely to skip the chance.
The King George ante-post ladder post-Curragh:
- Calandagan (Graffard, world #1-rated 2025) — assuming a 2026 return at full fitness
- Almaqam — new entry
- Coronation Cup winner (TBC, 5 June)
- Trawlerman — Gold Cup defender turned KG candidate
Eclipse (Saturday 4 July, Sandown)
Almaqam at 4/1-5/1 for the Eclipse is the post-Curragh ante-post value pick. Ombudsman defending 2025 win at 11/4-3/1. Calandagan if Graffard targets the Eclipse before the King George.
The all-of-the-above commercial summary
Six Royal Ascot G1 / Eclipse / King George markets reshaped in 48 hours. For ante-post bettors with the right form-line read, the next 7-10 days is the peak commercial window. The Royal Ascot ante-post page rolls all these into one view.
For the full Royal Ascot 2026 ante-post picture see our refreshed Royal Ascot 2026 ante-post page.
What's next — Pre-Derby week into Royal Ascot
Friday 30 May — 5-day declarations for the Epsom Classics
Final 5-day declarations for the Epsom Derby + Oaks close Friday 30 May. The Derby is jointly headed by:
- Benvenuto Cellini (A O'Brien) 5/1F — Chester Vase winner
- Item (A Balding / C Keane) 5/1-6/1 — Dante winner
- Christmas Day (A O'Brien) 8/1-10/1 — Dante 3rd
- James J Braddock (J O'Brien) 10/1-12/1 — Leopardstown Derby Trial winner
The Oaks is jointly headed by:
- Amelia Earhart (A O'Brien) 5/1-9/2F — Cheshire Oaks winner
- Legacy Link (J & T Gosden) 5/1 — Musidora winner
Friday 5 June — Coronation Cup (Epsom)
Jan Brueghel (A O'Brien) is the named Coolmore Coronation Cup runner. The race is a Royal Ascot Prince of Wales's pipeline — the Coronation Cup winner is the natural PoW contender alongside Ombudsman + Almaqam.
Saturday 6 June — Epsom Derby
The Derby is the year's most evenly-poised market in years. Item's Dante form + Benvenuto Cellini's Chester Vase form sit equally in the market; Christmas Day adds Coolmore depth.
Sunday 31 May — Prix du Jockey Club (Chantilly)
Hawk Mountain (A O'Brien) confirmed Prix du Jockey Club-bound from the Irish 2000G entry. The Chantilly G1 is the alternative Coolmore 3yo target before Royal Ascot.
16-20 June — Royal Ascot
The peak commercial window. The Curragh weekend transfers — Precise / True Love for the Coronation; Gstaad / Bow Echo for the SJP; Almaqam / Ombudsman for the PoW; Scandinavia / Trawlerman / Rahiebb for the Gold Cup — combine into the deepest single five-day G1 programme of the British year.
What we're tracking next
The next pieces in the pipeline:
- Coronation Cup 2026 preview refresh (race 5 June) — needs post-Curragh form-line update
- Royal Ascot 2026 ante-post page — refreshed today; refresh again post-Derby weekend
- Epsom Derby Festival Day-1 + Day-2 race-day previews — Coronation Cup + Oaks (Friday); Derby (Saturday)
For the Royal Ascot 2026 ante-post page see the dedicated ante-post coverage — refreshed today with the full post-Curragh weekend market shape.
Where to bet on Royal Ascot 2026
The full transfer list — Gstaad, Bow Echo, Precise, True Love, Almaqam, Scandinavia — makes the Royal Ascot ante-post market the sharpest it has been in five years. For the cross-bookmaker offer grid (Bet365 SI365, William Hill R30, Coral £5/£30, Paddy Power £5/£40, Betfred £10/£50 BETFRED50, Star Sports BET20GET10/BET50GET25) see our Royal Ascot 2026 offers page.
For ante-post NRNB terms (Non-Runner-No-Bet from the 5-day declaration stage) see our best ante-post bookmakers guide.
Star Sports — Royal Ascot ante-post
Two parallel welcome offers: BET20GET10 or BET50GET25. Specialist racing operator with on-course pitches at every UK G1 including all five days of Royal Ascot.
Bet £10 Get £50 in Free Bets — code BETFRED50
Promo code BETFRED50. New UK & Gibraltar customers only, 18+. Register and deposit a minimum of £10 using debit card, Apple Pay or Truelayer Instant Bank Transfer (e-wallets and prepaid cards excluded). Place a first bet of £10 or more at minimum odds of Evens (2.0) on any sportsbook market within 7 days of registration. Once settled you receive 3 × £10 sports free bets plus £20 in Bet Builder free bets (World Cup structure, 8 June – 15 July 2026; reverts to 2 × £10 acca free bets, 4+ selections win only, from 16 July). Free bets are credited within 10 hours of qualifying-bet settlement and expire 7 days after credit. Free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. One offer per person, household, IP address and device. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply.
Bet £20 Get £10 in Free Bets — code BET20GET10
Promo code BET20GET10. New UK 18+ customers only. Minimum deposit £10 via debit card. Minimum qualifying bet of £20 at minimum odds of Evens (2.0) — single bet, settled in the same registration session. Bonus credited as 2 × £5 free bets: first paid automatically on settlement of the qualifying bet, second £5 credited 24 hours later. Free bets restricted to accumulators of trebles or greater at minimum odds of 4/1 per leg. Free-bet stake is not returned with winnings. Free bets expire 24 hours after credit. PayPal, Skrill, Neteller and Paysafe not supported sitewide. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply.
Get 50% Back as a Free Bet up to £25
50% of your first-day net losses refunded as a free bet, capped at £25. New UK customers aged 18+ only — one offer per person, household, IP address and device. Customers registered with GAMSTOP cannot claim. Minimum deposit £10 via Visa Debit, Mastercard Debit, Apple Pay or bank transfer; PayPal, Skrill, Neteller and prepaid cards are not supported. KYC identity verification must be completed before the free bet is credited. Free bet is stake-not-returned. Verify the qualifying-stake threshold, minimum-odds requirement and free-bet expiry on QuinnBet's live welcome-offer page before claiming. Take Time to Think. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. T&Cs apply.
18+. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
Responsible note: The 2026 spring favourite-flop pattern is one of the strongest of recent years — Time For Sandals, Amiloc, Rosallion, Minnie Hauk all beaten at short odds. Each-way bets at G1 level are the smarter structural choice. Use small stakes, BeGambleAware.org.
Share this article
Research the field with the AI Race Predictor
Our model publishes calibrated win-probability estimates for UK races — a second opinion to understand a race, not tips. It's open about its record: it doesn't beat the market, and we show exactly how it does.
Gamble Responsibly
Gambling should be entertaining and not seen as a way to make money. Never bet more than you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help and support is available.