The Curragh

With the shockwaves from the news that Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) would miss the Derby only just fizzled out, Ballydoyle's leading 3-year-old jumps back into the season just past its halfway mark on Saturday for the G3 Fitzdares Royal Whip S. at The Curragh. Sustaining an injury after his gallant third in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket Apr. 30, last year's G1 Futurity Trophy and G2 Beresford S. winner is re-entering the fray at an ideal moment with the Derby and Oaks protagonists either sidelined or with question marks...

A three-year deal has been inked for Al Basti Equiworld, the UAE's leading supplier of horse feeds and supplements, to sponsor the five-furlong G1 Flying Five S. at the Curragh in September. Re-named the G1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five, this year's race will carry total prize-money of €400,000 and is scheduled for Sept. 11. Al Basti Equiworld founder Malih Al Basti said, "We are very pleased to be able to support horseracing in Ireland and to add the Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five to our portfolio of...

Not even favourite for Saturday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S., it is no wild statement that TDN Rising Star Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) could be the best juvenile Aidan O'Brien has had though his hands after a display of power to scintillate the Curragh faithful. Always in his comfort zone on the front under Ryan Moore as chief rival Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) blew the start, the June 15 Listed Windsor Castle S. and July 16 G3 Anglesey S. winner was shaken up by Ryan Moore to put...

There is the usual feast of racing across Britain, Ireland and France on Saturday, but The Curragh is where it's at as the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. provides the first coming together of the elite among Europe's precocious juveniles. It could boil down to a battle of the TDN Rising Stars Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) and Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never), with Hollie Doyle and Ryan Moore in no mood to allow their mount's considerable reputations to slide. Bradsell is in a bit deeper than he was in...

There was a competitive line-up for The Curragh's G2 Kilboy Estate S. on Sunday and it was Ballydoyle's Lily Pond (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who proved toughest as the 3-year-olds filled out the first three places in the nine-furlong feature. Building a smart portfolio since her winning debut at Dundalk Apr. 12, the bay was runner-up in the G3 Blue Wind S. at a mile and a quarter at Naas May 7 and third in the 12-furlong G3 Munster Oaks at Cork June 8 before finding the 14-furlong test of Leopardstown's...

He had already looked one of Ballydoyle's brightest prospects prior to Saturday's G3 Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey S., but TDN Rising Star Little Big Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never) now looks the real deal after running away with The Curragh's juvenile staging post. Withdrawn from the G2 July S. when the ground got too quick at Newmarket, the June 15 Listed Windsor Castle S. winner led all bar the rail-running Kodi Noir (Ire) (Kessaar {Ire}) throughout the early stages with that outsider on borrowed time. Asked to pick...

Emily Upjohn (GB) (Frankel {GB}) couldn't make the flight, so it's time to move on and focus on those left to fight out Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh, which unusually features none of the fillies who participated in the Oaks. That means that it is even more of a puzzle, with Zhang Yuesheng's June 16 G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) left as short-priced favourite even though she is yet to tackle Group 1 company. What her half-length defeat of Sea Silk Road (Ire)...

Although the €500,000 G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks will not be a clash of the G1 Cazoo Oaks one-two Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the latter withdrawn due to transportation issues at the 11th hour on Friday morning, there is plenty of quality in the seven-horse field still signed on. Aidan O'Brien is not empty-handed with the withdrawal of Tuesday either, as he will still run three for the Coolmore partners, led by Toy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).   CAIRDE GO DEO (FR), Camelot (GB)--Elusive...

Highlighting a stellar training performance by Paddy Twomey, Team Valor's G2 Blandford S. winner La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}--La Petite Virginia {Ger}, by Konigstiger {Ger}) led home My Astra (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) and stablemate Rosscarbery (Ger) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) on her seasonal debut in Sunday's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Let go at 9-1 with the punters' confidence shaky, the bay tracked the clear leading pair early with Billy Lee showing the same unerring sense of timing he had in...

Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby had been teed up as a match between Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}--Mirabilis, by Lear Fan) and Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), but in the ultimate assessment it was really a matter of no contest as Ralph Beckett's powerhouse colt overwhelmed all assembled for the Curragh Classic. Always travelling in a beautiful rhythm for Colin Keane granted a perfect lead by French Claim (Fr) (French Fifteen {Fr}), the 11-8 joint-favourite took control at the top of the straight and had already stretched into an unassailable...

It is rare that The Aga Khan's silks are at the forefront this early in the major two-year-old contests, but when they are it is always a good sign and Shartash (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}--Shamreen {Ire}, by Dubawi {Ire}) showed he had the precocity to go with his illustrious pedigree in Saturday's G2 GAIN Railway S. at The Curragh. Kept fresh by Johnny Murtagh following his Naas conditions win May 7, the son of the dual G2 Blandford S. winner was held up early as the Listed First Flier S....

Colin Keane will replace Rob Hornby aboard the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby favourite Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at the Curragh on Saturday. Westover endured a luckless run under Hornby to finish third behind Desert Crown (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the Cazoo Derby at Epsom and connections have explained that Keane's experience of riding at the Curragh swung the vote in his favour ahead of Saturday.  The three-time Irish Champion Jockey has already tasted Classic success in the Juddmonte silks, courtesy of 2020 Irish Guineas winner Siskin, who was trained...