Weekend Review / Timeform / 25 May 2009 / Leave a comment

There was a fascinating weekend of racing across Britain and Ireland this weekend. The Curragh and Haydock Park were the feature meetings and both courses had heavy ground for the horses to contend with, writes Timeform.

The most prestigious race on Saturday was the Irish 2,000 Guineas, run at the Curragh, and Mastercraftsman ran out an impressive winner for trainer Aidan O'Brien. He clearly handled the conditions better than his market rival Delegator whose turn of foot was blunted by the ground and the extra emphasis on stamina may also have found him out.

At Haydock the ground was similarly testing and this played into the hands of Look Busy who was taken off her feet early on in the Group 2 Temple Stakes as they went a ferocious pace. The ground took its toll, however, and as the leaders weakened Slade O'Hara came with a well timed run and his filly used her stamina to wear down the gallant Borderlescott to win by half a length. It was the trainer Alan Berry's first success in a race which his father, Jack Berry, won on four occasions.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Sir Michael Stoute's Desert Creek won the Silver Bowl Handicap at Haydock. He was very well backed throughout the day and won in good style for his extremely competent young jockey Louis-philippe Beuzelin. A good card at Newmarket saw wins for Palavicini and Alyarf in the opening listed races and Henry Cecil's Bouvardia took the sprint handicap under Tom Queally.

At the Curragh on Sunday it was the turn of the fillies in the 1,000 Guineas. The race was won by David Wachman's Again who managed to get to English raider Lahaleeb in the final strides to win by a neck. The pair were clear of the third, Oh Goodness Me and both suggested they would go well in similar races throughout the season, when faced with testing ground.