The Curragh
Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Insights features a half to Group 1 winner Magna Grecia. 1.45 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, c/g, 6fT ST MARK'S BASILICA (FR) (Siyouni {Fr}) is a rare runner for the sire to be housed at Ballydoyle, but as a half-brother to the stable's 2019 G1 2000 Guineas hero Magna...
Avoiding her arch-foe Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) at Ascot, Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is kept to home soil to extend her awe-inspiring record in domestic races in Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh. With the race open to 3-year-olds in this unusual year but drawing only one which is her stable's Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Coolmore's mare supreme looks to have a straightforward task in accomplishing a ninth success from 12 starts in Ireland. Her latest, in the course-and-distance G1 Pretty Polly S. June 28, was arguably her...
The Longines Irish Champions Weekend, held Sept. 12-13, will take place behind closed doors, the Longines Irish Champions Weekend Committee confirmed on Wednesday. The committee's recommendation, which was made as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, was approved by the Board of Horse Racing Ireland at their July meeting on Monday, July 20. The Sept. 12 card at Leopardstown features the G1 Irish Champion S., and G1 Coolmore America 'Justify' Matron S. The Curragh plays host on the second day, with four Group 1 races on tap: the Comer Group International Irish...
Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Insights features a full-sister to Classic heroine Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 1.40 Newbury, £6,400, 2yo, c/g, 6fT MUJBAR (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) debuts for Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum and Charlie Hills with more than an outside chance that he could be another sprinting star for the combination...
Aidan O'Brien will be looking to bring down more barricades on Saturday as he chases the record of Sir Michael Stoute in The Curragh's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks. With five wins in the mile-and-a-half Classic, he sits one shy of the tally wracked up over the decades by the Newmarket-based legend and it will be no surprise were he to join him in 2020. Four fillies contest the latest renewal from Rosegreen, with Evie Stockwell's G1 Epsom Oaks and G2 Ribblesdale S. runner-up Ennistymon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) the current standard-bearer...
Aidan O'Brien is well-represented in a domestic Classic yet again on Saturday with half of the eight-strong field declared for The Curragh's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks from Ballydoyle. All are daughters of Galileo (Ire), with Evie Stockwell's G1 Epsom Oaks runner-up Ennistymon (Ire) heading the quartet under Wayne Lordan. Remarkably, seven of the eight hail from the Sadler's Wells sire line, with the past Coolmore great also the damsire of the sole exception, SBA Racing Limited's June 21 G3 Blue Wind S. third Yaxeni (Fr) (Maxios {GB}). The latter is...
Playing host to a Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in full swing, Sunday's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh was as good as over after less than a furlong as Seamie Heffernan committed to front-running duties on the returning 2-5 favourite. Kept in training for good reason, the G1 English and Irish Champion S. and G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup heroine of 2019 showed no mercy to her opposition and took off heading to two out en route to a 4 1/2-length dismissal of the 3-year-old Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia...
Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Sunday's Insights features the first foal of top-class sprinter Mecca's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). 2.00 Curragh, Mdn, €18,000, 2yo, f, 7fT SNOWFALL (IRE) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) bids to build on her debut third at Navan earlier this month at this Irish Derby meeting that Aidan O'Brien always likes...
Back from the brink of retirement following her G1 Champion S. victory at Ascot in October, Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is the next A-list celebrity to step into the limelight in 2020 as she gets reacquainted with top-flight action in Sunday's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh. Ballydoyle's high achiever has a stunning record at this venue, having won four of her six starts here including last year's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup by seven lengths and generally is tough to beat in her native country as she proved...
In this topsy-turvy season, Saturday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh has a large field including six well-regarded maidens who have been unable to open their account before the big day largely due to its proximity to the real start of the current campaign. Half-chances are situated everywhere in the line-up, but this one-off renewal could be an open-and-shut case if Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) is able to replicate his success in Royal Ascot's G2 Queen's Vase eight days previously. Aidan O'Brien's horses have a remarkable record...
G1 Irish Derby ARTHUR'S KINGDOM (IRE) (Camelot {GB}-Madeira Mist {Ire}, by Grand Lodge) Bred by Skymarc Farm, Arthur's Kingdom was a €260,000 Goffs Orby yearling purchase by MV Magnier. The G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and G2 King Edward VII S. runner-up is out of the GIII Dance Smartly H. winner Madeira Mist and therefore a three-quarter brother to triple GI Canadian International winner Joshua Tree (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). CHIRICAHUA (IRE) (Camelot {GB}-Dowager {GB}, by Groom Dancer) Bred by Lynch Bages and Rhinestone Bloodstock, Chiricahua was bought by Gaelic Bloodstock for...
4.15 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 6fT FRIENDLY (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) was not foaled until May 15th, so improvement can be expected in due time but it is interesting that Aidan O'Brien has opted to go so soon with the 12th progeny out of the speedy Massarra (GB) (Danehill). All of her full-siblings Mars (Ire), Gustav Klimt (Ire), Wonderfully (Ire), Cuff (Ire) and Blissful (Ire) and her half-sister Nayarra (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) were able to make their mark in black-type company at different levels and this chestnut relative of...