Irish Oaks

Irish Oaks Weekend kicks off at the Curragh on Saturday where Epsom heroine Minnie Hauk appears to have been handed a straightforward task in the feature contest at 3.40pm. There is an interesting undercard at Irish racing's HQ and here are five things to look out for.  Cult Hero Heads The Weights In The Scurry Big Gossey (Gutaifan) has developed something of a cult following in recent times, which was evidenced by the reception he received when out-battling Camille Pisaaro to land a 10th career success in the Gladness Stakes...

A week after sending out stable star Vera's Secret to win her second Group 3, John Feane, widely regarded as one of the shrewdest handlers in Ireland, is eyeing another major payday in the Scurry Handicap at the Curragh with Greek Flower, a filly the trainer describes as being "seriously well-handicapped." And there would be few more deserving winners on Irish Oaks Weekend. Greek Flower flashed home to fill the runner-up spot in the Rockingham as well as the Scurry last season. Luck was not on her side, either, when...

A rematch between Minnie Hauk (Frankel) and Whirl (Wootton Bassett) in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh is unlikely, according to trainer Aidan O'Brien, who was responsible for six of the nine fillies left in the Classic on Tuesday. Just a neck separated the two stablemates when they met in the Oaks at Epsom, with Minnie Hauk edging ahead in the final strides to get the better of the gutsy Whirl, who has since gained a first Group 1 success of her own when seeing off her elders...

The irony is not lost on Gavin Hernon. Less than a decade after he elected to launch his training career in France rather than his home country in favour of more opportunities, the Irishman will return to home soil to at the Curragh on Saturday with leading claims of making the Classic breakthrough when his star filly Dare To Dream (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) lines out in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks.  Described by the soon-to-be 32-year-old trainer as the best horse he's ever had through his hands, Dare To Dream has...

Noel Meade has provided an upbeat bulletin on Classic hope Caught U Looking (Ire) and said it would "be a dream" if the daughter of Harzand (Ire) proved herself good enough to compete in the Oaks this season. Caught U Looking, winner of the G3 Weld Park S. at the Curragh last year, will get her campaign underway in the G3 Irish 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown on April 7.  Owned by Tally-Ho Stud's Tony O'Callaghan and popular bloodstock agent Peter Kelly's wife Sabina, Caught U Looking was bought for...

Savethelastdance (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will spearhead a four-pronged attack from Aidan O'Brien on Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh. The master of Ballydoyle has already won the fillies' Classic on six occasions, a joint-record alongside Sir Michael Stoute. O'Brien looks to have every chance of going out on his own this weekend, with 22-length Listed Cheshire Oaks winner Savethelastdance the likely favourite on her first start since finishing runner-up behind Soul Sister (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the Oaks at Epsom last month. Her biggest threat could prove to...

Some eleven years have transpired since the great Snow Fairy (Ire) (Intikhab) carried Ryan Moore to a second consecutive victory in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and it will be up to reigning G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks winner Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to put a halt to the locals' 10-race winning streak Sunday afternoon at Hanshin Racecourse. It has been a magical season, indeed, for Yuesheng Zhang's talented bay filly, who used a runner-up effort in the Listed Salsabil S. at Navan in late April as a springboard...

They have reached dizzy heights as breeders and now Gillian and Vimal Khosla are concentrating on achieving big-race success as owners with Fennela (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), a daughter of their outstanding broodmare Green Room (Theatrical {Ire}), in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks. The Khoslas know a thing or two about breeding top-notchers. Green Room is the dam of three Group 1 or Classic winners and the owner-breeders behind the 20-year-old blue hen are hoping there is still more to come.  Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) was the first horse to...

An Emily Upjohn (GB)-shaped hole has been blown into the G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks after John and Thady Gosden were forced to rule the daughter of Sea The Stars (Ire) out of Saturday's Group 1 contest at the Curragh. As short as 2-5 with some betting firms, Emily Upjohn will miss the Curragh Classic after the Gosden team were faced with travel complications ahead of the journey across the Irish Sea. The Jessica Harrington-trained Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo) has hardened into a general even-money favourite for the Irish Oaks in Emily...

John Gosden is a man who chooses his words carefully, and when he released a statement to say that he and stable jockey Frankie Dettori were having "a sabbatical" it was an indication that the situation would be temporary.  The end to that sabbatical looks likely to come sooner that many had expected. On Tuesday morning in Newmarket Dettori was aboard Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the filly who was so narrowly denied victory in the Cazoo Oaks, and who will now head to the Curragh for the...

Jessica Harrington has Classic glory in her sights with Royal Ascot scorer Magical Lagoon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who is on course for a tilt at the G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh on July 16.  A gritty winner of the G2 Ribblesdale S. at Ascot last month, Magical Lagoon will bid to make the step up to Group 1 company at the Curragh, with Harrington revealing that it's all systems go for the Irish Classic.  "That is the plan," the trainer said on Monday. "She's a very laid back...

Aidan O'Brien used the word "special" to describe Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) following her stunning success by a record-breaking 16 lengths in the G1 Epsom Oaks, but most would argue that tag did not go far enough to fully quantify what was witnessed on the first Friday in June. Looking more like a freak of nature as she glided by toiling rivals in early straight, the Ballydoyle bombshell out of the portentously-named dam Best In the World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) probably needs to do no more than she did...