The Curragh
The G2 Mooresbridge S. at The Curragh on June 13 is shaping up as an exciting contest pitting many of the season's most anticipated older horses against one another. Among the entries for the 10-furlong contest are last year's leading middle-distance 3-year-olds Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), last year's G1 Irish St Leger winner Search For A Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the 2018 G1 Irish Derby victor Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), globetrotting Group 1 winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the high-class Madhmoon...
Irish racing will resume on June 8 with a card at Naas, with the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas set for Friday, June 12 at The Curragh, and the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas the following day. The G1 Irish Derby and G1 Irish Oaks remain on their traditional dates of June 27 and July 18, respectively, while Irish Champions Weekend will take place Sept. 12 and 13. International participation will be restricted to Group 1 and 2 races only for June, with personnel required to comply with government policy on the...
The Curragh has announced that it will defer its gallop fees by a month in a bid to help racehorse owners during the challenging scenario of the coronavirus pandemic. The Curragh Racecourse reopened last year following an €80 million redevelopment and over the last few years there has also been substantial upgrading to the facilities on the 2,000-acre training grounds which surround the track. "We don't know what's going to happen and we're waiting for the next announcement from the government. It's a difficult time for everyone so we wanted...
A.R.M. Holding, a Dubai-based investment house, is the new sponsor of the G2 Debutante S. at The Curragh, the racecourse announced on Monday. Slated for Aug. 22, the seven-furlong contest for 2-year-old fillies will carry a purse of €130,000. A.R.M. is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Ahmad bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The race has been won by some of the best juvenile fillies in Europe and the 2019 victress was the Jessica Harrington-trained Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), owned by Niarchos Racing. She is one of the leading...
The Burns family's Rathasker Stud has taken over sponsorship of the G3 Phoenix Sprint S., to be run over six furlongs at The Curragh on Aug. 9. Maurice Burns said, "We are delighted to announce our new sponsorship at The Curragh; the G3 Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint S. of €65,000 over six furlongs. Our family have a previous history with the race in that my father Paddy's good Ahonoora filly Park Dream won the Phoenix Sprint in 1992. There is also a nice progression for sprinters after this race as...
Dubai Duty Free has extended its sponsorship of the G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby by a further two years, and added five additional races to its sponsorship portfolio, which will see prizemoney at this year's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival on June 26 to 28 rise to €2.25-million from €2-million. In 2021, all races at the festival will be worth a minimum of €100,000. The Dubai Duty Free Village in the Curragh garden will this year provide a new entertainment venue with an array of food and beverage...
Defying the rain-softened ground and a trio from Ballydoyle, Khalid Abdullah's Siskin (First Defence) kept his unbeaten record intact as he prevailed from TDN Rising Star Monarch of Egypt (American Pharoah) in Friday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. at The Curragh. Held up in fourth early by Colin Keane, the 10-11 favourite cruised into a challenging position on the far side heading to two out where battle was joined with Monarch of Egypt who he had beaten in the course-and-distance G2 Railway S. Looking to be losing out in that tussle...
G2 Coventry S. winner Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) was not among the final entries for Friday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. when the field for the six-furlong contest at the The Curragh was drawn on Wednesday. The quintet standing their ground is headed by Juddmonte's unbeaten homebred Siskin (First Defence). The Ger Lyons trainee won the Listed Marble Hill S. at second asking over this course and distance on May 24 before adding the G2 Railway S. over the same on June 29. He is reopposed by the Railway second...