The Curragh

As much as Sunday's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. was about the withdrawal of City Of Troy (Justify) and the impressive winning performance of fellow TDN Rising Star Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Minding {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), it was testament to Irish racing's totemic figure Aidan O'Brien who marked the occasion with a 4,000th training career success. Who else could pull a colt of the quality of the freakish G2 Superlative S. winner from such an important status event and still win it by five lengths, burying an impressive...

Sunday's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. at The Curragh was denied the participation of the star turn City Of Troy (Justify) after Aidan O'Brien opted to withdraw the G2 Superlative S.-winning TDN Rising Star. Following the disappointing run of the stable's Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the preceding G1 Moyglare Stud S., the ground was deemed too easy for the exciting juvenile. The Curragh was officially good-to-yielding after heavy rain before racing. Ryan Moore switches to fellow TDN Rising Star Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the G2 Futurity...

First there was the Live In The Dream (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) at 28-1 in the Nunthorpe, then Saturday's Haydock Sprint Cup turn-up courtesy of the 10-1 shot Regional (GB) (Territories {Ire}) and now Moss Tucker (Ire) (Excelebration {Ire}--Rare Symphony {Ire}, by Pastoral Pursuits {GB}) to complete the shock treble at 16-1 in Sunday's G1 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Flying Five S. at the Curragh, a GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint qualifier. This looked a surefire renewal for the Brits on form, but one by one Highfield Princess (Fr)...

While the G1 Irish St Leger is officially the feature race on The Curragh's second part of the Irish Champions Festival, Sunday's fixture is really first and foremost about Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star City Of Troy (Justify) who graces the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. Of all the stable's 2-year-old stars over the past 25 years, he already looks at home accompanying the same metaphoric space as the likes of Johannesburg, Fasliyev, Air Force Blue, Hawk Wing, Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) and Little Big Bear (Ire) which is an...

Coming into Saturday's six-furlong G3 Heider Family Stables Round Tower S. off an eye-catching third in a median sires series maiden over the same trip and Curragh track earlier in the month, Alymer Stud's Letsbefrankaboutit (Ire) (Sioux Nation) justified 2-1 favouritism to provide the Paddy Twomey stable with another notable pattern-race success. Confidently ridden buried in mid-division early by Billy Lee, the €240,000 Tatts Ireland Goresbridge Breeze-Up purchase was produced with a smooth run to overhaul Mansa Musa (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) passing the furlong pole en route to a...

Sent off the even-money favourite for Saturday's G3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF S. at a wet Curragh, Ballydoyle's Opera Singer (Justify) came home alone to reward that faith. Off the mark over this mile trip at Leopardstown in July and second over seven furlongs at this track earlier this month, the half-sister to War Front's Hit It A Bomb and Brave Anna tracked the pace in second under Seamie Heffernan before taking control approaching two out. Stretching clear from there, the homebred registered an impressive 6 1/2-length success from stablemate...

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 Insights features a relative to a multiple Grade I winner. 16.05 Curragh, Mdn, €16,500, 2yo, c/g, 8fT ORTELIUS (Justify), a $1.1-million Keeneland September purchase by M V Magnier, is out of a half to the five-times Grade I-winning Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) and therefore a big deal...

Providing her first-crop sire Ten Sovereigns (Ire) with his breakthrough first black-type winner on Sunday, Anne Marie O'Brien's filly Asean (Ire) was too strong for her peers in the five-furlong Listed Qatar Racing And Equestrian Club Irish EBF Curragh S. Off the mark at the fifth attempt at Cork last month, the Donnacha O'Brien-trained 17-2 shot was anchored in rear early. Asked to sprint by Gavin Ryan a furlong out, the homebred swamped the field to gain the advantage 50 yards out before asserting to beat Alabama (Ire) (No Nay...

Providing a boost to her G3 Silver Flash S. conqueror Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Al Shira'aa Farms' Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}--Prudente {Fr}, by Dansili {GB}) sprung forward to capture Saturday's seven-furlong G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante S. in style at The Curragh. Beaten 1 1/2 lengths when second to Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star in that important staging post at Leopardstown last month, the Willie McCreery-trained €320,000 Arqana Deauville August graduate was held up in last early by a confident Billy Lee content to let it all play out...

Making light work of Saturday's G2 Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity S. at The Curragh, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}--Minding {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) continued the golden spell of the yard's 2-year-olds in 2023. Backed into 2-9 favouritism, the son of the brilliant 1000 Guineas and Oaks heroine who had opened his account in style over this course and seven-furlong distance last month tracked the ultimately-disappointing Spanish Flame (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) until taking command 2 1/2 out under Ryan Moore. Chased to...

In a season when even by their exalted standards Ballydoyle seem to be boasting more than the average amount of highly talented juveniles, Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity S. at The Curragh on Saturday. Earning TDN Rising Star status when beating the subsequent Galway maiden winner and G3 Prix Francois Boutin runner-up Mythology (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) hollow on debut over this course and seven-furlong distance last month, the son of  Minding (Ire) (Galileo {GB}) is as exciting as it gets at this time...

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 Insights features the third foal of MG1SW Winter, who already claims a TDN Rising Star to her docket as a broodmare. 13.45 The Curragh, Debutantes, €17,000, 2yo, 7fT LONDON CITY (Justify) is the third foal out of the G1 1000 Guineas, G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Coronation S....