The Curragh
Not content with conquering Group 1s in France, Britain and now Ireland, John Quinn nominated the Breeders' Cup as the most likely destination for Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) after his superstar sprinter scorched to Flying Five S. glory under Jason Hart at the Curragh on Sunday. The race is a "Win And You're In" for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Quinn, a native of Tipperary who trains in England, described the winner as the best he's trained in the build-up to Longines Irish Champions Weekend and...
Group 1 winner Above The Curve (American Pharoah--Fabulous {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) made it back-to-back scores with a gritty effort in the G2 Moyglare 'Jewels' Blandford S. at the Curragh on Sunday. The Joseph O'Brien-trained 'TDN Rising Star' had won the G1 St Mark's Basilica Coolmore Prix Saint-Alary at ParisLongchamp on May 29 in her previous start. Caught out wide without cover in midpack early as 70-1 longshot Emphatic Answer (Ire) (No Nay Never) led the way, Above The Curve improved under her own power to fourth with seven furlongs...
Sunday afternoon is as busy as it gets, with the plethora of pattern races creating a logjam of quality which can only truly be appreciated in the aftermath. Nestled among the key events taking place across Europe is Doncaster's G1 Cazoo St Leger, where New London (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) is the true kingpin with an air of apparent superiority. That comes largely from him winning a deep renewal of Goodwood's G3 Gordon S. July 28, which aside from the Derby is the strongest piece of 3-year-old middle-distance form for...
John Quinn has showered star sprinter Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) with praise and described the G1 Flying Five-bound filly as the best he's trained. Highfield Princess is chasing a third Group 1 win on the spin when she lines out in Sunday's Flying Five S. at the Curragh, one of the feature races of Longines Irish Champions Weekend and Quinn, a native of County Tipperary who has been based in England for the majority of his racing career, is in no doubt that the speedball is the...
Backing up a week after her impressive success in the five-furlong Listed Roses S. at York, Merry Fox Studs' homebred Treasure Trove (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) upped her game again to capture Saturday's G3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower S. at The Curragh. ] Held up towards the rear early by Billy Lee, the Paddy Twomey-trained 6-4 favourite was produced late as the 'TDN Rising Star' Apricot Twist (Ire) (Expert Eye {GB}) started to flag on the lead and her thrust proved strong enough to deny fellow closer Ocean Quest (Ire)...
1.20 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, c/g, 8fT GULF OF MEXICO (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) debuts for Ballydoyle in the maiden won by Saxon Warrior (Jpn) and Mogul (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) in recent times and, at 1.1 million gns was the joint-second highest-priced colt at the Book 1 Sale in October alongside stablemate Age Of Kings (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). A son of the G2 Queen Mary S. winner and G1 Cheveley Park S. runner-up Anthem Alexander (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), the May-foaled bay encounters experienced opposition including his stable's eye-catching course maiden runner-up...
It's that time of year where initial promise either fizzles out or becomes the preface to something greater and early on Saturday we get to find out what 'TDN Rising Star' Bright Diamond (Ire) (El Kabeir) is made of in Goodwood's G3 William Hill Prestige Fillies' S. This is not generally one of the big 1000 Guineas pointers, but Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), Nannina (GB) (Medicean {GB}) and Gossamer (GB) (Sadler's Wells) won it this century en route to their respective tilts at the stars and there...
Having come from behind on Aesop's Fables (Ire) in the Futurity half an hour earlier, Ryan Moore was ripping it up from the front on Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never) as the Belle of Ballydoyle brought up a notable pattern-race double for her sire and a 13th renewal of the G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante S. Out of action since her success in the June 17 G3 Albany S. at Royal Ascot, the 8-13 favourite had no qualms with being placed on the front end and raced with ears pricked as...
Ryan Moore is in a rare dimension at present and his domination of The Curragh's Saturday card showcased his renowned fine judgment as well as his excellent tactical awareness. Open to a plethora of choice from the Ballydoyle ranks on the fixture, Coolmore's longstanding number one picked right every time with the selection of Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) for the G2 Galileo Irish EBF Futurity S. his finest act of sagacity. Faced with two of the yard's 'TDN Rising Stars', he opted for the imposing half-brother to Washington...
Racing for the third time in The Curragh's Coolmore Arizona Irish EBF Maiden over a mile on Saturday, Ballydoyle's Hiawatha (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) delivered in style under Ryan Moore. Always happy on the front end, the full-brother to Luxembourg (Ire) who was runner-up at Killarney July 11 and at Galway July 30 justified 5-4 favouritism by 3 1/2 lengths from Fleetfoot (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Turned over by Jim Bolger's Serious Challenge (Ire) (Fracas {Ire}) over an extended mile at the Galway festival last time, the full-brother to last year's G1...
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...