Auguste Rodin is by any measure one of the world’s outstanding middle-distance horses, but a quirk of sometimes utterly failing to show his excellence means that eyes will again be judging him in Sunday’s (26 May) G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup (2100m) at The Curragh.

But so far each flop from this five-times Group 1 winner – including dual 2023 Classic victories in both the English (2405m) and Irish Derby (2400m) – has promptly been followed by a superb Group 1 victory.

His supporters will be wanting more of the same 57 days after the debacle in March’s G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2410m) at Meydan. Referring to that latest puncture in the colt’s history Aidan O’Brien, angling for his eleventh Tattersalls Gold Cup victory, says: “We have put a line through that. The race was tactical and just didn’t work out for him. The good thing is that Ryan (Moore) accepted it quickly and didn’t give him a hard race.”

This time the brown colt needs to eclipse seven rivals including Curragh specialist White Birch. The striking grey left Sunday’s opponent Lord Massusus and three other smart rivals looking pedestrian as he accelerated clear in this month’s G2 Mooresbridge Stakes (2000m) on soft ground here. Colin Keane’s mount is equally at home on the quicker conditions expected for Sunday.

O’Brien has also won the Irish 1000 Guineas ten times and he and Ryan Moore team up with Opera Singer in this G1 Classic over The Curragh’s 1600m. Her runaway five lengths victory in last October’s G1 Prix Marcel Boussac (1600m) gives her an edge on figures even though this is her first start since then and many of her great Irish trainer’s runners have looked to just need their first 2024 outing.

Unlike O’Brien’s prolific record local trainer Willie McCreery is looking for his first Classic success. However, his Vespertilio arrives here on the back of a terrific performance in the 1600m French equivalent, the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp earlier this month.

She had to challenge wide but was closing fast to finish only half length behind winner Rouhiya with this stiffer track expected to play in her favour.

High percentage trainer Paddy Twomey – who had another winner at The Curragh on Friday evening – has two upwardly mobile Irish 1000 Guineas candidates in Purple Lily and the unbeaten A Lilac Rolla.