Curragh

Kitten's Joy's reputation hardly needed any further enhancements after the weekend, but another came nonetheless at The Curragh on Friday as his son Crossfirehurricane extended his perfect run in the G3 Coolmore Ten Sovereigns Gallinule S. Held up with one behind early by a confident Shane Crosse, Scott Heider's Feb. 28 Listed Patton S. winner was gradually unwound to reel in the G2 Beresford S. third Gold Maze (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) with 200 yards remaining en route to a 1 1/4-length success at 7-1, with Sherpa (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire})...

Sunday's Standard Chartered Champions and Chater Cup (2400m) at Sha Tin Racecourse is the last of 12 Group 1 events on the annual racing calendar in Hong Kong, one that has been significantly impacted first by social unrest in the region and more recently--and currently--by the COVID-19 pandemic. In many ways, Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) is emblematic of racing in the Special Administrative Region--a racehorse possessed of an iron constitution, showing up with his 'A' game time and again. One that can deliver his best even when the deck is...

The five individual trails of the 2019 Curragh Thoroughbred Trail, part of Longines Irish Champions Weekend, are now available to book online. The various Thoroughbred Trails--DK Weld, James Nash and Dick Brabazon; John Oxx and Willie McCreery; Michael Halford and Kildangan Stud; Johnny Murtagh, Conor O'Dwyer and Brendan Duke; Ken Condon and Martin Brassil--are located at The Curragh prior to racing on Sunday, Sept. 15, allowing racing fans to go behind the scenes accompanied by an expert guide, with light refreshments at The Curragh Racecourse prior to the start of...

Arlington's GI Secretariat S., contested at a mile and a quarter since 1985, has been turned back in distance to a one-mile event this year, and drew a competitive nine-horse field for Saturday's running at the Chicago area oval. True to form, Chad Brown has a pair of imposing runners in Peter Brant's Fog of War (War Front) and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Mike Ryan's Valid Point (Scat Daddy). Fog of War, who followed up a debut victory with a popular score in the GI Summer S. at Woodbine,...

Khalid Abdullah's unbeaten Siskin (First Defence) renews rivalry with 'TDN Rising Star' Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah) in Friday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. at a Curragh venue currently threatened by the possibility of huge amounts of rain. First and second in the course-and-distance G2 Railway S. on fast ground on June 29, they are both bred to be compromised by the prospect of soft ground. Siskin, who also captured the May 24 Listed Marble Hill S. here, has two other Ballydoyle representatives to contend with including the G2 July S....

Late last month Pat Keogh, chief executive officer at Leopardstown since 2011, took up the same position at The Curragh upon the resignation of Derek McGrath. The fast nature of that change over means that Keogh will slowly phase out of his Leopardstown role, presiding over both racecourses until the conclusion of Longines Irish Champions Weekend on Sept. 14 and 15. It is no secret that the redeveloped Curragh Racecourse, unveiled after three years of construction this spring, has undergone some growing pains which have already been addressed by racecourse...

Sunday's 150th renewal of the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh had looked for a while as if it could be a target for many of the season's leading fillies, but after Monday's declaration and Friday's confirmation stage the representation has been whittled down to just one: the G1 Epsom Oaks winner Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Had it not been for owner Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez's decision to supplement on Monday there would have been none of that sex lining up, as the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine...