Leopardstown

Sunday's G3 Ballylinch Stud "Priory Belle" 1000 Guineas Trial was one of the most competitive in recent times, with last year's G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) topping the list, and so it was with a deal of surprise that the winner was duly announced as the 80-1 shot Keeper of Time (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) for the John Feane stable. Fifth on her 3-year-old bow in the well-contested Madrid H. over this seven-furlong trip at The Curragh Mar. 21, the bargain €3,000 purchase at the 2019 Goffs...

Back at the Leopardstown venue at which he had won the G3 Killavullan S. in October, Jim Bolger's homebred Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) proved best in Sunday's Listed Ballylinch Stud "Red Rocks" 2000 Guineas Trial S. Sent off the 3-1 second favourite, the bay was quickly in an ideal spot in second under Kevin Manning and when committed approaching the furlong pole gave generously to score by 1 1/2 lengths from Ace Aussie (Ire) (Australia {GB}), with Monaasib (GB) (Bobby's Kitten) a short head away in third. "He...

There is no doubt that the Flat is back on Sunday, with the action at Leopardstown and ParisLongchamp featuring several Classic contenders jostling for position. In the G3 Ballylinch Stud "Priory Belle" 1000 Guineas Trial at the Foxrock venue, Coolmore hold a strong hand with last year's G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) saddled with just a three-pound penalty despite those exploits. Ryan Moore has picked her over Aidan O'Brien's promising maiden winners Empress Josephine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Joan of Arc  (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with their...

GAIN Equine Nutrition will sponsor a new race series, The Advantage Series, for the Irish Flat Season, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Tuesday. Launched with Ado McGuinness Racing, the eight part series of races will be run for points over a variety of conditions to cater to different trainers and horses throughout the season. For each race, there will be a 40% prizemoney boost. A grand prize of €5,000 worth of GAIN Equine Nutrition products will be awarded to the trainer who tops the GAIN The Advantage Series at the...

Coolmore's once-raced Monday (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who posted a Sept. 3 debut fourth over this seven-furlong trip at Punchestown in her only prior start, stepped forward to shed maiden status in Saturday's Listed Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Ingabelle S. at Leopardstown. She was smartly away from an inside gate and dictated at a modest tempo along the fence after the initial strides of this black-type bow. Unflustered until scrubbed along off the home turn, the 12-1 chance refused to buckle and kept on strongly under a final-furlong drive to hold...

There are few days in the European racing calendar as replete with top-class action as Saturday, with Doncaster's St Leger festival reaching its climax as the Irish Champions Weekend begins at Leopardstown. With the exception of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Godolphin's phenomenon of 2020 Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has emerged to dominate the middle-distance division and he bids to extend that to Ireland as he takes in the G1 Irish Champion S. With Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in opposition, on paper his task involves a simple repeat of his G1...

MG1SW Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is one of 13 horses standing their ground at this entry stage for the G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown on Saturday, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Tuesday. A final call on the Godolphin representative's participation will be made on Wednesday. The bay has already racked up a trio of Group 1s this season-the Coronation Cup S. at Newmarket, Sandown's Coral-Eclipse S. and last month's Juddmonte International S. at York. "Ghaiyyath will work tomorrow morning, we will have a final discussion then and if everyone...

Ryan Moore, who rides first call for Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O'Brien, has entered quarantine in Ireland as of last Saturday and will be riding in Ireland at Irish Champions Weekend on Sept. 12-13. These will be Moore's first rides in Ireland in 2020, as COVID-19 has kept him in the UK earlier in the season. "As people travelling from the UK to Ireland currently have to quarantine on arrival for 14 days, I flew over immediately after racing at Goodwood last Saturday afternoon so that I could ride at the...

Group 1 winner Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who won the G1 Coronation S. for the Niarchos Family and trainer Jessica Harrington in June, is under consideration for the Sept. 12 G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown. A winner of the G2 Debutante S. at two, the chestnut kicked off her season in the Coronation, before runner-up performances in the G1 Prix de Diane Longines at Chantilly and the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville, on July 5 and Aug. 16, respectively. "At the moment, Mrs. Harrington...

Thursday's G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros S. lost a potential major player after Jessie Harrington deemed the ground too fast for the likely favourite Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and with the surface slick at Leopardstown it was a front-runner who prevailed in Military Style (War Front). This year more than any other it seems that the Foxrock venue is favouring those on the front end when the going is riding as it was here, but such is the blueblooded nature of the winner it is dangerous to argue...

Donnacha O'Brien's instant momentum showed no sign of stopping on Thursday as the sole Galileo (Ire) in the G3 Frank Conroy Silver Flash S. line-up Shale (Ire) flew the flag for the newest of the family's prodigies at Leopardstown. Having won a mile maiden on slow ground at Gowran Park July 8, the daughter of the runaway G1 1000 Guineas heroine Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) was positioned in a clear second early by under up-and-coming riding star Gavin Ryan. Sent past the weakening race animator Finest (Ire)...

Jessie Harrington is keen to put some of her most promising juveniles to the test in an intriguing card at Leopardstown on Thursday which features the G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros S. and G3 Frank Conroy Silver Flash S. In the former, which has played host to the likes of Teofilo (Ire), New Approach (Ire), Rip Van Winkle (Ire) and Churchill (Ire) in recent times, she saddles Alpha Racing 2020's impressive July 1 nine-length course-and-distance maiden winner Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), while Robert Scarborough and Susan Magnier's Oodnadatta...