The Curragh

3.18 Nottingham, Mdn, 2yo, f, 5f 8yT SENORITA BONITA (IRE) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) topped the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale at 900,000gns and debuts for Victorious Forever and Simon and Ed Crisford in the maiden won in the last three years by Zelaina, Leovanni and Beautiful Diamond. Jaber Abdullah's Queen Of Christmas (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) also makes her debut, with the Karl Burke-trained €305,000 Arqana Deauville October purchase a half-sister to the Listed-winning dam of last year's Prix du Moulin de Longchamp hero Sahlan (Wootton Bassett).   5.40 Curragh, Mdn, 2yo,...

Ed Walker has long sung the praises of Almaqam (Lope De Vega) and although the elusive Group 1 win took its time coming, it all fell into place for the stable star on Sunday as he bossed The Curragh's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup. Making his seasonal return in the 10 1/2-furlong prize, Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's homebred who had last been seen finishing third in the Champion Stakes in October was moved up to shadow the Ballydoyle pacemaker with Kieran Shoemark confident in his readiness. Taking command approaching the two-furlong...

Relatively unexposed in the competitive line-up for Sunday's G2 Lanwades Stud Stakes at The Curragh, the Zinlo Syndicate's City Of Memphis (Sioux Nation) stamped her class on the mile test to continue her upward trajectory. Beaten only once in her career so far when fifth in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on this card 12 months ago, last month's G3 Mutamakina Stakes winner was the subject of support as the 2-1 joint-favourite and travelled easily under cover early. Launched by Billy Lee to subdue Carolina Jetstream (Pinatubo) inside the final furlong,...

By the time Great Barrier Reef (No Nay Never) had crossed the line in front in Sunday's G3 Kilkea Castle Marble Hill Stakes, the weighing room collective had to admit it was Ryan Moore's world and they were just living in it. Taking his weekend Curragh tally to six-from-six including four at Group level, the supremo had to work a bit harder this time to justify picking the TDN Rising Star over the stable's other No Nay Never colt Carry The Flag but was ultimately proved right again. The pace-setting runner-up,...

Following on from Sergei Diaghilev, Comanche Brave and Gstaad, Causeway (Wootton Bassett) wrapped up a Saturday four-timer for Ryan Moore in The Curragh's G3 Heider Family Stables Gallinule Stakes. Having followed the same path as past Ballydoyle's Irish Guineas hero Paddington by winning the Madrid and Tetrarch, the relative of Magical and Rhododendron had to be diverted off it due to the presence of Gstaad in the day's feature. With the Classic already in the bag for the stable, the 5-6 favourite made it another day to remember on his first...

Gaining handsome compensation for his defeat in the 2,000 Guineas, Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) dominated Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas with a genuine tour de force at The Curragh. Covering the mile in race-record time which eclipsed the previous best of Desert Prince's in 1998, Ballydoyle's 4-11 favourite turned the screw from two out to beat Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder) by three lengths. Godolphin's other runner Pacific Avenue (Dubawi) was a further length away in third. "It was very straightforward," Ryan Moore said. "We didn't go that quick early, but...

If you can get within six lengths of Ka Ying Rising, you've got above-average ability and Comanche Brave (Wootton Bassett) came back from his Chairman's Sprint Prize experience to hammer that home in Saturday's G2 Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes. Sent off the 7-4 favourite for the Curragh contest, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained four-year-old who was having only his third career start at this six-furlong trip followed the pace with ease. Committed by Ryan Moore passing two out, Muhaideb Almuhaideb's colour-bearer stretched to an authoritative two-length success from course specialist Big Gossey...

Ryan Moore has sided with True Love (No Nay Never) of the high-profile Ballydoyle pair at the head of the market for Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at The Curragh. After a dozen were declared, Newmarket's 1,000 Guineas heroine who is drawn in one was the selection of Coolmore's number one rider with Wayne Lordan on the Fillies' Mile and Moyglare Stud Stakes winner Precise (Starspangledbanner). Seventh three weeks ago, she will exit from stall seven. Godolphin's Abashiri (Frankel), who was fifth at Newmarket, was confirmed by Charlie Appleby...

Ballydoyle's crack three-year-old Gstaad (Starspangledbanner) will face nine rivals in Saturday's G1 Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas at The Curragh. Following the expected withdrawals of the stable's Group 1 winners Puerto Rico and Hawk Mountain, the 2,000 Guineas runner-up will have only Neolithic (Sioux Nation) for company with the Rosegreen duo drawn in eight and 10 respectively. Godolphin's Distant Storm (Night Of Thunder), who was third at Newmarket, will be partnered by that Classic's winning rider Billy Loughnane in the absence of the suspended William Buick and departs from stall six, while...

Up to a mile for the first time in Monday's G3 Coolmore Auguste Rodin Irish EBF Athasi Stakes at The Curragh, Annemarie O'Brien's Kensington Lane (Starspangledbanner) toughed it out to provide Donnacha with a live Irish 1,000 Guineas contender. Seventh behind True Love in Leopardstown's Priory Belle last month, the homebred granddaughter of Ramruma (Diesis) raced near the pace before being committed by Chris Hayes approaching two out. Hassled all the way to the line, the 14-1 shot got there 3/4 of a length in front of last year's Weld...

There were no anxious moments for takers of the generous 4-6 odds on offer for Ballydoyle's returning Minnie Hauk (Frankel) as she breezed through Monday's G2 Clem Murphy Memorial Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes at The Curragh. Last year's Oaks, Irish Oaks and Yorkshire Oaks heroine is on course for a rematch with her Arc conqueror Daryz at Royal Ascot and could not have begun her four-year-old campaign any more impressively as Ryan Moore proved a passenger in the 10-furlong contest. Setting up like a piece of work, she gave her...

History may not ultimately repeat itself, but so far Causeway (Wootton Bassett) is doing a fine job of mimicking Ballydoyle's recent kingpin Paddington as he completed the Madrid-Tetrarch double on Monday. Sent off the 9-4 favourite for the Irish 2,000 Guineas trial over the same course and distance, the relative of Magical and Rhododendron worked his way past stablemate Neolithic (Sioux Nation) inside the final furlong en route to a two-length success from Andab (Saxon Warrior). Neolithic was a neck behind in third. "He's a lovely, big relaxed horse and...