Ryan Moore: Big step forward expected from Ivy League in Irish 2000 Guineas

Been pleasing us at home but Kings has big form claims

13:35 Curragh - Congo River

We run two, and Age Of Kings has had the benefit of a run. He was just touched off by a horse with experience at Naas and, looking at the race - I didn't ride him that day - you would hope and expect he would have benefited a good deal from that very promising debut. And he may well have won there but for being carried across the track by the winner, so he obviously holds strong form claims here for Wayne once again.

However, I ride newcomer Congo River. He is a pretty expensive Mendelssohn colt with a lot of speed in his pedigree, and he has been pleasing us at home. This will tell us a lot more about his sharpness though, obviously.

Step up in trip a positive for unbeaten colt

14:10 Curragh - Blackbeard

We run a couple in this too, and both are unbeaten and full of potential. The filly Deneuve obviously did very well to win for me at Naas, but it is fair to say the form hasn't worked out that well, and at the moment Blackbeard boasts the better form.

I think he beat a decent sort over 5f here last time, and the step up to 6f can only be a positive. Tough Talk's narrow debut defeat of Little Big Bear probably makes him the one to beat, though. That is very strong form.

Tough ask to beat Native Trail be we expect more progress

15:20 Curragh - Ivy League

He has clearly made a mountain of progress since I finished sixth on him on his debut in a maiden here in March and we were delighted with him at Leopardstown last time, stepping up to Group 3 company on the back off a handicap win off 84.

The winner got the run of the race from the front but I was very encouraged by the way my horse finished off his race. He will get further, and he is still in the Derby, but I think you will see him take another big step forward here.

Of course, that may not be enough to get near Native Trail, or even the impressive Tetrarch winner Buckaroo, but let's see. I did like his run last time and maybe the first-time tongue-tie will help him, too.

Has the form and ability to go close

15:55 Curragh - Wordsworth

It is a pretty deep field for this Listed race but my colt holds pretty strong form claims all the same. He wasn't beaten far in the Sagaro Stakes at Ascot last time and he showed last season, including when third in the Irish Derby here, that he is fully effective over 1m4f as well. There is no reason why he shouldn't be going close here, for all it is a tight race.