Dubawi's Emily Dickinson Dominant In The Curragh Cup

Making it another big day in Kildare for Ballydoyle, Emily Dickinson (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) brought up a treble for O'Brien and Moore in the G2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup on Saturday. Fourth on unsuitably quick ground in the G1 Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last month, the G3 Loughbrown S. and Listed Vintage Crop S. winner had it all falling into place after the rain and was able to wait patiently in mid-division early.

Surrendering first run to market-rival Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) at the top of the straight, the 6-4 favourite was under a ride as that rival's jockey Billy Lee took a look around to check their progress two out. While he would have been happy enough there, he wasn't as the dark blue Magnier silks loomed at his side less than a furlong later and Emily Dickinson had soon overhauled the Twomey runner before staying on powerfully to win by three lengths.

“I was a bit worried that she was a couple of pieces of work short, but she loves that ground and grows another leg on it,” O'Brien said. “She loves being ridden like that, is very genuine and tries very hard. Ryan gave her a peach, he filled her with confidence. He said going to the start he knew she was different, obviously she loves that ease in the ground. She would run every day on fast ground and come out of it perfect–she could go to Goodwood, but after today we know that ground is important to her. If there is no ease in the ground at Goodwood she won't run and we'll keep her for the autumn.”

🔥 A quickfire double for team @Ballydoyle!

🏆 G1 Irish Oaks – Savethelastdance
🏆 G2 Comer Group International @curraghrace Cup – Emily Dickinson

A smart performance from this classy stayer in the hands of Ryan Moore pic.twitter.com/IRpzdGpDN7

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 22, 2023

Pedigree Notes

Impeccably-bred, Emily Dickinson is the best of three foals of racing age out of the high-class Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), whose finest hour came when winning the G1 Irish Oaks on this card. Her first was the G3 Silver Flash S.-placed Secret Thoughts (War Front), while her second was the GI American Oaks runner-up Nicest (Ire) (American Pharaoh) who was also third behind Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the 2021 Irish Oaks. The second dam is the listed-winning Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}), dam of the stable's prolific top-level performer Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who got her win at that level in the MacKinnon S.

Prudenzia, who also supplied Dubawi's G3 Prix Penelope winner and G1 Prix de Diane runner-up Philomene (Ire) and the group-placed Enemy (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) and Je Ne Regretterien (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), is kin to the G3 Prix de Lutece winner Pacifique (Ire) who shares Montjeu as a sire with Chicquita and is in turn the dam of another Lutece scorer in Paix (Ire) also by Muhaarar and the G2 Prix Greffulhe-placed Sir Bob Parker (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). This is also the family of the Listed Lingfield Derby Trial winner English King (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) and the G1 Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Alexandrova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). Chicquita's as-yet unraced 3-year-old full-sister to Emily Dickinson is named Beware (Ire), while her 2-year-old filly also by Dubawi is named Magical World (Ire). She also has a colt foal by Wootton Bassett (GB).

Saturday, The Curragh, Ireland
COMER GROUP INTERNATIONAL CURRAGH CUP-G2, €150,000, Curragh, 7-22, 3yo/up, 14fT, 3:16.00, sf.
1–EMILY DICKINSON (IRE), 134, f, 4, by Dubawi (Ire)
     1st Dam: Chicquita (Ire) (G1SW-Ire, G1SP-Eng, G1SP-Fr, $859,094), by Montjeu (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Prudenzia (Ire), by Dansili (GB)
     3rd Dam: Platonic (GB), by Zafonic
O-Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg; B-Chicquita Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €90,000. Lifetime Record: GSP-Eng, 15-4-1-1, $336,850. *1/2 to Nicest (Ire) (American Pharoah), G1SP-Ire, GISP-US, GSP-Eng, $194,883. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Rosscarbery (Ger), 134, m, 5, Sea The Stars (Ire)–Rose Rized (Ger), by Authorized (Ire). (130,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT; 1,000,000gns HRA '22 TATMA). O-Lady Bamford; B-Gestut Wittekindshof (GER); T-Paddy Twomey. €30,000.
3–Amusement (Ire), 122, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Rock Orchid (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus).
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (540,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg; B-B V Sangster (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien. €15,000.
Margins: 3, 3 1/4, 1HF. Odds: 1.50, 1.88, 11.00.
Also Ran: Run For Oscar (Ire), Sionnach Eile (Ire), Yashin (Ire), Gooloogong (Ire), Young Ireland (Ire), John Alexander (Ire). Scratched: Okita Soushi (Ire), Point King (Ire).