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 Observations features a full-brother to Group 1-winning juvenile Little Big Bear (Ire). 14.25 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, 6fT WHISTLEJACKET (IRE) (No Nay Never) debuts in the maiden that his brilliant full-brother Little Big Bear (Ire) was narrowly beaten in two years ago. A 500,000gns Tattersalls Book 1 purchase...

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. Saturday's Observations features a son of the dual 1000 Guineas heroine Hermosa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 13.35 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 3yo, 7fT IGOR STRAVINSKY (IRE) (No Nay Never), who was scratched from his intended debut at Dundalk last week, is set to start on turf for the Ballydoyle stable which...

Brian Kavanagh has said that he agrees completely with Johnny Murtagh's assertion that Ireland should not be "resting on its laurels" when it comes to prize-money while Irish Racehorse Trainers Association [IRTA] chief Ryan McElligott expressed a wish that the Curragh boss's decision to up the minimum prize fund at the track to €20,000 could stir up similar change among other racecourses.  Leopardstown, Ireland's only other Group 1 Flat track, has followed the Curragh's lead in raising its basement prize-money levels to €15,000. However, leading trainers Joseph O'Brien and Ado...

Monday's curtain-raising Curragh card saw Whitsbury Manor Stud's first-season sire Sergei Prokofiev register his opening salvo as his son Arizona Blaze (GB) captured the five-furlong Castle Star And Alkumait At Capital Stud Irish EBF Maiden. Representing AMO Racing Limited and Giselle De Aguiar and the Adrian Murray stable, the £82,000 Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale graduate was always on the sharp end under David Egan. Asserting from Rowdy Yeats (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) inside the final furlong, the 5-4 favourite eked out a professional 1 1/4-length success. "David [Egan] said...

Barry Fitzgerald may be an under-the-radar trainer but he is by no means unheard of. The County Carlow-based handler registered five winners in Ireland last season and six the previous campaign. What's more impressive is that he was operating at a hugely respectable 10 and 14 per cent strike-rate for those respective campaigns. No mean feat when you're operating with just a handful of Flat horses and working with limited pedigrees every year.  But the quality is on the up in the yard and Fitzgerald, already off the mark this year...

No sooner is the Cheltenham Festival wound up than the Flat Turf season begins at The Curragh on Monday, leaving no time to draw breath. Offering the ultimate contrast to the recent jumping spectacles is the opening five-furlong Castle Star And Alkumait At Capital Stud Irish EBF Maiden for 2-year-olds, where a clutch of the entries are by the first-season sires Sergei Prokofiev, Verbal Dexterity (Ire), Far Above (Ire) and Arizona (Ire). It is Whitsbury Manor Stud's resident Sergei Prokofiev who could have the favourite in the Adrian Murray-trained colt...

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. Thursday's Observations features a half to the multiple Group 1-placed Adelaide River. 13.15 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, f, 7fT EVERLASTING (IRE) (Kingman {GB}) is one of a trio from Ballydoyle and as the only newcomer with Ryan Moore on board the clues as to her ability are already writ...

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. Saturday's Observations features a half to G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) on debut at the Curragh. 13.10 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, 9fT ILLINOIS (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) is the latest progeny out of Danedrop (Ire) (Danehill), whose ground-breaking daughter Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) still...

Prepared for a debut of extra significance by Paddy Twomey, the Connolly Racing Syndicate's One Look (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) stormed to a six-length success in The Curragh's Goffs Million on Saturday to cap a red-letter day for the stable. Well-supported into 5-1 second favouritism, the €65,000 Goffs Orby graduate waited towards the back early under Billy Lee. Sent forward as the even-money favourite Cherry Blossom (Ire) (No Nay Never) made her move passing two out, she swamped that rival at the furlong pole and powered clear for an emphatic introduction....

Bouncing out of a defeat in Leopardstown's G2 Champions Juvenile S. earlier this month, Vimal Khosla's Deepone (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}--Avyanna {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) put that behind him by dominating Saturday's G2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford S. at The Curragh. Only fourth behind Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) on Irish Champions Day, the Paddy Twomey-trained 3-1 joint-second favourite soon had control on the front end under Billy Lee and never looked like being reeled in as he secured a 1 3/4-length defeat of Chief Little Rock (Ire) (Galileo...

It is the time of year when ideas begin to form about the following season's Classics and with Derbys in mind, Saturday's G2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford S. at The Curragh offers food for thought. Aidan O'Brien's record in this mile staging post is plain remarkable, even by his standards, with a tally of 21 winners including St Nicholas Abbey (Ire), Saxon Warrior (Jpn), Japan (GB) and Luxembourg (Ire) and the fact that he has a trio engaged in the race he missed out in 12 months ago for the...

Connections of Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) can be satisfied that Sunday's G1 Irish St Leger went by without drama, but the glory was with KHK Racing's TDN Rising Star Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}--All At Sea {GB}, by Sea The Stars {Ire}) as he returned to form to provide his sire with a group 1 double on the Curragh's star-studded card. Putting a largely underwhelming summer behind him, having been seventh in the G1 Gold Cup and fourth in the G1 Goodwood Cup, the 16-5 second favourite enjoyed a perfect...