It is a fabulous day of racing at the Curragh on Sunday, day two of the Irish Champions Festival, with four Group 1 races on an eight-race card, and €2.45million in prize money on offer.
Selections:
- 13:45 – Coul Angel
- 14:15 – Star Of State
- 14:50 – Sun Goddess
- 15:25 – Time For Sandals (NB)
- 16:00 – TBC
- 16:35 – Scandinavia
- 17:10 – TBC
- 17:45 – Amadeus Mozart (NAP)
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13.45pm – Irish Stallion Farms EBF Bold Lad Sprint Handicap, €150,000, 6f, 3yo+
Britain horses often run well in the race. They have won three of the last ten, but not since 2020
Winning stalls in the last ten years (most recent first) are 7 – 20 – 23 – 9 – 5 – 6 – 6 – 9 – 19 – 2
Tango Flare won last year won last year from a 7lbs lower mark than this year. Sir Les Patterson finished third that day and will be 5lbs better off on Sunday for 2.25 lengths with Tango Flare.
Colin Keane has won three of the last seven, Ger Lyons has won two of the last seven, Eddie Lynam has won two of the last eight.
You can build a case for many of the runners. Will it prove to be better to be drawn nine or lower, as the above stats suggest? It’s difficult to say, although Ipanema Queen, who is quick and drawn low, could certainly take them along, which might suit such horses as Keke (drawn in 1), Sondad (7), Dark Ace (5), and Ocean’s Breath (2, the mount of Colin Keane).
Before the draw was announced, I liked the look of Coul Angel (drawn in 19), who often runs well in competitive sprint handicaps.
It’s a headsctatcher, but with plenty of good horses also drawn middle to high, the draw might not prove to be so important. We’ll only know that after the race. On the upside, the draw of the first four home could give valuable pointers to the BAR 1 Betting Flying Five Stakes at 15:25, which is run over the same trip.
Selection: COUL ANGEL, as I’m loathe to change my mind after settling on a choice.
14:15 – Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes, 2yo, 6f63y, €250,000
Britain has won eight of the last ten.
The favourite has won in three of the last four years.
Seven of the last nine winners were returned at 13/2 or shorter.
Winning stalls in the last ten years are 14 – 15 – 2 – 2 – 12 – 11 – 14 – 15 – 24 – 30
Karl Burke won last year with a useful colt, Alparslan. He has two runners this year.
It is fairly easy to shortlist the following horses, and fairly easy also to make Star Of State the selection. Alpe d’Huez, Atlantic Bridge, Mehmas Star, Sapphire Sun, Star Of State, and Treasurer.
Alpe d’Huez ran well at Naas last time following a gelding op. He arrives here battle hardened.
Atlantic Bridge, the mount of Wayne Lordan, won well at Navan last time.
Mehmas Star ran well when second on his debut at Carlisle. He is trained by Karl Burke, who won this race last year.
Sapphire Sun, who is trained by Johnny Murtagh, showed plenty of promise when sixth on her debut.
Star Of State, who will be ridden by Ryan Moore, finished second in the Group 2 Lowther Stakes at York last time. That form stands out here.
Treasurer will be racing in first-time cheek-pieces and has been gelded since his last run.
Selection: STAR OF STATE
14:50 – Moyglare Stud Stakes, 2yo f, 7f, Grade 1, €400,000
This is generally won by a high-class or top-class filly.
Aidan O’Brien has been very keen for a while on Alpha, a daughter of Sea The Stars and four-time Group 1 winner Alpha Centauri, but Ryan Moore is on Sun Goddess, who won the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes here on August 9th before landing a valuable Sales race at York eleven days later.
Aidan has won the last two Moyglares, with Precise and Lake Victoria, who both went to win three more top-level races, including the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Fallen Angel won in 2023. She went on to win the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Tahiyra won in 2022. She went on to win the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Love won in 2020. She went on to land the English 2,000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks.
The five Moyglare winners mentioned above (whose wins have come in the last seven years) went on to land a further 17 Group or Grade 1 wins between them following their Moyglare success. These include six English or Irish Classics.
Among Lake Victoria’s subsequent wins was the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf for fillies.
Remarkably, there has been just one winning favourite in this race in the last ten years, although only one of the ten was returned at bigger than 13/2.
Selection: It is an obvious one but SUN GODDESS is the filly to beat. If the poor stat for favourites in this race is to be upheld, Alpha and the Joseph O’Brien Green Empress, a Group 2 winner over c/d last time out, are the obvious candidates to take advantage.
Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien holds many good chances at the Curragh on Sunday
15:25 – BAR 1 Betting Flying Five Stakes, 5f, 3yo+, €400,000
There have been four winning favourites in the last nine years, and two in the last four.
Britain has won four of the last eight. They have won every other year during this time – so they are due this year to win!
Four of the last nine winners were aged 3.
Six the last nine winners were returned at 13/2 or shorter.
Winning stall in the last ten years (most recent first) are 4 – 14 – 6 – 7 – 13 – 2 – 1 – 6 – 8 – 6 which means that eight of the last ten winners were drawn 8 or lower.
Aidan O’Brien has won this race twice, with Fairyland in 2019 and Caravaggio in 2017. The latter was a champion sprinter, while Fairyland had won the Group 2 Lowther Stakes and Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes the year before she won the Flying Five.
This year’s race has again produced a very good field, with five Group 1 or Grade 1 winners in the line-up. These are American Affair, Comanche Brave, Starlust, Mission Central and Time For Sandals.
It is great to see this year’s July Cup winner, Comanche Brave, in the field, as it is the Nunthorpe Stakes second, third, fourth and sixth (Starlust, Rumstar, Time For Sandals and Night Raider, who finished fifth in last year’s Flying Five from stall eight. He will be in stall one on Sunday).
American Affair won the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes in July, while Mission Central won this season’s Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot for Aidan O’Brien before finishing seventh in the July Cup and in the ruck in the Nunthorpe Stakes. Ryan Moore will be on board and he has what could prove to be a good draw in four.
Selection: I’m going to side with a lower-drawn runner, which is TIME FOR SANDALS (drawn in five). She ran well at York last time when repeatedly denied a clear run and has proven that she is well at home in this company.
The brilliant Bradsell winning the 2024 BAR 1 Betting ‘Flying Five’ Stakes under Hollie Doyle
16:00 – Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes, 2yo, no geldings, 7f, Group 1, €400,000
Aidan O’Brien has won the race 12 times, but just once in the last nine years.
Vincent O’Brien won the race ten times.
Trained by Aidan, Gstaad was narrowly beaten last year by Zavateri. Aidan also finished 2nd in 2024.
Joseph O’Brien, three wins in the last six years.
There have been four winning favourites in the last ten years, and six of the last ten winners have been returned at 7/2 or shorter.
Horses to have won the race include, Hawk Wing, Sinndar, George Washington, Dubawi, Teofilo, Dawn Approach, Toormore, Gleneagles, Churchill, Pinatubo, Native Trail, Al Riffa, Henry Longfellow.
This year’s key runners…
British raider Dr Rascal is unbeaten in three starts, which include the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood last time out. He has to be respected.
Trained by Aidan O’Brien, Giant Sequoia will be ridden by Ryan Moore. He beat stablemate Florida Bay by half-a-length in the Group 2 Futurity Stakes over six furlongs here on August 22nd. At a recent press day, Aidan felt that Giant Sequioa, who is a son of Frankel out of an Epsom Oaks runner-up, Pink Dogwood, will have learned plenty from that race.
Aidan also runs Haffner, a useful son of Justify who won a Group 3 race at York last time out, where Trean finished third.
Monogram impressed physically ahead of getting up late home to win on his debut but he looks a smart prospect, while Folsom Blues is also useful, having finished runner-up to Florida Bay at Leopardstown in July before chasing home Sun Goddess (who runs earlier in the Moyglare Stud Stakes) here on August 9th in the Group 1 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes over six furlongs.
Finally, Porto Vecchio, a son of Frankel trained by Dermot Weld, won on his debut, which came over c/d, and is also a promising horse. He’s a full-brother to the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Homeless Songs.
It all adds up to a very good renewal of the National Stakes.
Selection: TBC
4.35pm – Group 1 Comer Group International, Irish St Leger, 3yo+, 14f, €700,000
Scandinavia is the star attraction here. He has won his last seven races, those successes including the Goodwood Cup (twice), Ascot Gold Cup, English St Leger and, of course, the BAR 1 Betting Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan, which was his first run of the season.
Aidan O’Brien has won four of the last nine Irish St Legers, among his winners being Kyprios, who won in 2022 and 2024. Aidan has won the race seven times in total.
There have been four winning favourites in the last ten years, and seven of the last nine winners have been returned at 4/1 or shorter.
Ryan Moore has won the race four times in the last nine years.
No 3yo has won since 2019.
Britain has won the Irish St Leger seven times this century, although two of those wins dead-heated.
Dermot Weld has won the race nine times, including with such wonderful horses as Vintage Crop (twice) and Vinnie Roe (four times).
Scandinavia is by Justify and his granddam produced, amongst others, Giant’s Causeway. He is the one to beat.
His stablemates Jan Breughel and Queenstown are amongst his opponents, as is last season’s Epsom Derby third, Tennessee Stud, who will race in first-time cheek-pieces, although Joseph O’Brien’s highest rated runner is Trustyourinstinct, a Group 2 winner over c/d in July.
Also racing in first-time cheek-pieces will be the British raider, the William Haggas-trained Arabian Storm, who has been running well in Group races and has been gelded since his last race.
Aidan O’Brien’s Queenstown, who won the Irish St Leger Trial last time out. He’s clearly progressive.
Selection: SCANDINAVIA
Top-class stayer Scandinavia after winning the BAR 1 Betting Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan in April
5.10pm – Group 2 Moyglare “Jewels” Blandford Stakes, 3yo+, fillies and mares, 10f, €200,000
There has been just one winning favourite in the last ten years, which was Eziyra (2018), who was trained by Dermot Weld, who won the race four years in a row from 2016-19. Eziyra was a 4yo when she won the race.
Three-year-olds have the last seven and eight of the last ten. Five of the ten runners this year are three-year-olds, including the Epsom Oaks winner Thundering On. She has been absent for 78 days but, if back to the level of her Epsom victory, would hold a very good chance.
Charlie Johnston’s Timeforshowcasing has run well in Group 1 races on her last two runs so arrives in good heart. She is rated 113 to Thundering On’s 117. They are the two top-rated horses in the race.
Charlie also runs Jennifer Jane (108), who won a Group 3 race at Chantilly last time out. William Haggas runs Lilt (105), who has won two of her three races and wasn’t beaten far when sixth in the French Oaks on her latest start. Ger Lyons runs Red Letter, a Group 3 winner last year who will race today in a first-time tongue-tie, and John & Thady Gosden run Symbol Of Majesty (106), a Group 3 winner ar Deauville last time out.
One of Joseph O’Brien’s three runner is Wemightakedalongway (107), who finished second to Minnie Hauk in last year’s Epsom Oaks, although more-recent runs have not been so good.
It all adds up to a super race.
Selection: TBC
Thundering On, who won on the same Navan card in April as Irish St Leger favourite Scandinavia
5.45pm – The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Northfields Handicap, 3yo+, 10f, €150,000
The draw position of the last ten winners… 15 – 4 – 22 – 26 – 15 – 5 – 13 – 1 – 10 – 15
There has been one outright winning favourite in the last ten years, which was Max Mayhem for Joseph O’Brien in 2021, who was 17/2.
There has also been one winning joint-favourite, Crystal Black, for Gerry Keane in 2023. Max Mayhem won on what was his handicap debut.
Colin Keane rode Crystal Black and has won this race twice in the last three years.
Johnny Murtagh has won this race three times in the last six years, while Ben Coen has ridden two of the last eight winners.
Seven of the last ten winners carried 9st or less to victory. The other three carried 9st2lb or 9st3lb.
The winning age in the last ten years: 3yo, 4 – 4yo, 1 – 5yo, 2 – 6yo, 2 – 7yo, 1, which is a wide spread.
It is not unusual for lightly raced horses with limited exposure to handicaps to win this race.
Selection: Sometimes a horse catches your eye early on amongst entries for a race. There is one such horse, AMADEUS MOZART, who is lightly raced and will be racing in a handicap for the first time. He has a touch of class and gets the nod.
The Curragh Selections:
- 13:45 – Coul Angel
- 14:15 – Star Of State
- 14:50 – Sun Goddess
- 15:25 – Time For Sandals (NB)
- 16:00 – TBC
- 16:35 – Scandinavia
- 17:10 – TBC
- 17:45 – Amadeus Mozart (NAP)
JHappy scenes after Arizona Blaze’s win in the 2025 Group 1 BAR 1 Betting Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh
