Curragh Racecourse

Coolmore's hitherto untested Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}), went postward as a 9-2 chance for Saturday's Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden at The Curragh and made a mockery of those odds with a taking display to earn TDN Rising Stardom on debut. Breaking in mid division and remaining there through halfway in the one-mile test, she made eyecatching headway on the bridle along the far-side fence to seize control approaching the...

Dermot Weld's esteemed career has been characterised by several landmark moments and there was another at The Curragh on Sunday as the master of Rosewell House delivered the high maintenance Search For a Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in perfect order to record back-to-back wins in the G1 Comer Group International Irish St Leger. In receipt of all the allowances when taking the race by the scruff of the neck in dynamic fashion 12 months ago, the Moyglare Stud homebred was content to creep into contention from rear this time as...

Sunday's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. at The Curragh looked of vintage variety on paper and although it lost a notable in Ballydoyle's Battleground (War Front), an incident-packed renewal ultimately witnessed a colt to quicken the pulse in TDN Rising Star Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). Purchased by Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez from Anne Marie O'Brien following his scintillating debut success over this course and distance Aug. 9, the 15-2 shot tracked the pace but was holed up with nowhere to go inside the final two furlongs. Declan McDonogh was looking...

Much has been made of the ability of the average Galileo (Ire) to endure more than a fair amount of engagement in battle, but there continues to be example after example as the weeks of the flat season roll on. There seems especially to be something in The Curragh's hallowed turf to bring out those mystical qualities from within his charges and on Sunday it was Shale (Ire) who was drawing on it to garner the G1 Moyglare Stud S. Having beaten Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) in the G3...

It was all about the fillies and mares in Sunday's G1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five at The Curragh, with last year's G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp heroine Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) prevailing after a tussle with compatriot Keep Busy (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}). Last seen finishing second to Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in Goodwood's G2 King George S. July 31, the Bearstone Stud homebred was in touch against the far rail but under the pump at halfway. Rallying gamely to wear down Keep Busy in the...

Honouring her Late owner Jon S. Kelly, Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) gained deserved compensation for a series of creditable defeats in major prizes when landing Sunday's G2 Moyglare "Jewels" Blandford S. at The Curragh. Runner-up in the June 28 G1 Pretty Polly S. and July 18 G1 Irish Oaks at this venue, the 3-1 second favourite sat second behind Amma Grace (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) before being sent past two out by Shane Foley. Staying on strongly from there, she had a comfortable four-length margin back to that 50-1 outsider...

It was about time for another Jim Bolger star to come forward and Saturday saw his outsider Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) duly prevail to put Coolcullen back in the headlines in The Curragh's G2 Galileo Irish EBF Futurity S. Hardly advertising his claims when ninth in Leopardstown's G3 Tyros S. over this seven-furlong trip Aug. 6, the 28-1 shot was the subject of a no-nonsense ride from Kevin Manning tracking Ballydoyle's pacemaker Ontario (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) throughout. With that 20-1 shot refusing to give up on the lead,...

Saturday's G2 A.R.M. Holding Debutante S. resulted in the trifecta of Joseph-Donnacha-Aidan O'Brien in that order as the oldest son of the Ballydoyle master held sway with TDN Rising Star Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}). Runner-up to Donnacha's Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Silver Flash S. over this seven-furlong trip on fast ground at Leopardstown Aug. 6, John Oxley's 3-1 shot was always travelling easily in a share of fourth and when sent on by Shane Crosse brushed aside that rival to gain the lead with a furlong...

Denied in the G2 Railway S. at The Curragh July 18, Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) returned to the same course and six-furlong strip on Sunday to dominate a competitive renewal of the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. Despite the presence of four group-winning colts Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}), The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}), Ventura Tormenta (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Laws of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}), the market spoke mainly for Lucky Vega who was supported into 4-1 second favouritism and also Ballydoyle's maiden St...

Sunday's seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at The Curragh looked as if it could be storing something exciting beforehand and so it proved as Anne Marie O'Brien's Thunder Moon (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) exploded onto the scene to earn TDN Rising Star status. Keen early tracking the leading trio, the 10-1 shot who had won a Dundalk barrier trial July 29 travelled with supreme ease once Declan McDonogh had got a grip on him. Given the command approaching the final furlong, the homebred split rivals and surged to the front...

With racemares like Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), there is a sense of point-and-shoot and Wayne Lordan had little trouble in steering her to a sixth top-level success in Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh. Sent to the front almost from the outset, the 2-9 favourite merely had to repeat her effort when winning the course-and-distance G1 Pretty Polly S. June 28 and she gave generously to issue another beating to over-matched rivals. Kicking off the home turn, she stayed on strongly as expected as stablemate Sir Dragonet (Ire)...

Ger Lyons had suffered a rare downturn at The Curragh's weekend meeting when Frenetic (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) was overturned in the G2 Airlie Stud S., but the Irish Oaks-winning trainer was straight back in the game with Peter Brant's Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass) in Sunday's G2 Kilboy Estate S. Causing an upset when upstaging Saturday's Classic heroine Even So (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the G3 Park Express S. over a mile at Naas Mar. 23, the bay had confirmed her class when adding the Listed Victor McCalmont Memorial S. to...