Rest of Saturday card
EASILY the most dramatic finish of the weekend came in the Group 2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup, as Tower Of London (13/8) hit a high of 21/1 in the in-running markets on his way to reeling in Grosvenor Square.
It didn’t always look likely for the mount of Ryan Moore, having a mountain to climb after his plucky stablemate, ridden by Gavin Ryan, still held a sizeable advantage heading into the final furlong. However, the winner is known for leaving matters late and galloped on resolutely to score by a length and a quarter.
O’Brien said: “Ryan gave him a peach. He could come back here for the Irish Leger. He’s a great horse to have and he loves travelling. He could be a Melbourne Cup horse, he could be anything.
“Grosvenor Square ran a great race and is a trip horse. He wanted to go the distance and could be a Melbourne Cup horse too, a big cruiser.”
Lion a name to note
The opening seven-furlong Juddmonte Chaldean Irish EBF Maiden has been won in recent years by subsequent Group 1 scorers Henry Longfellow and Mac Swiney, and the 2024 winner looks another high-class two-year-old.
The Lion In Winter (11/2), trained by O’Brien and ridden by Wayne Lordan, readily picked up while overcoming greenness to beat market principals, Currawood and Ides Of March, by a two and a quarter lengths.
O’Brien said of the Sea The Stars colt: “He’s been working lovely and you would have to be very happy with him. He has plenty of class and would have no trouble going up in trip. He was a bit green but finished out very well and looks a quality colt.”
THE old adage of backing the top-weight in a nursery rang true in the opening two-year-old handicap of the season, as Windsor Castle Stakes sixth Rudi’s Apple (5/2) defied an opening mark of 90 in the six-furlong Barberstown Castle Sprint Nursery Handicap.
The HOS Syndicate-owned colt, trained by Joseph O’Brien, could possibly head into listed or group company now.
Winning rider Dylan Browne McMonagle said: “He was always comfortable throughout and quickened up well. He’s progressing and is only going to get better. He had a big weight but is probably a level above them.”
McManus homebred
By his usual high standards, O’Brien had been experiencing a quieter-than-usual start to the season but his string has really caught fire in the past week. An Oaks-day double brought up by Puturhandstogether (5/2) in the 10-furlong Businessplus.ie Handicap marked winner number eight for O’Brien in the space of six days.
O’Brien said of the J.P. McManus-owned homebred: “I thought he did well to keep fighting all the way to the line as he was in the firing line all the way up the straight. We’ll look for something at the same trip again.”
A trio of British challengers filled the first three places in the Group 2 Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes, as the George Boughey-trained Believing (evens favourite) gained a deserved success after back-to-back fourths in Group 1 company at Royal Ascot last month.
Ridden by Ryan Moore and representing the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-Jane Addams ownership team, she had too much for Beautiful Diamond (Karl Burke) and Makarova (Ed Walker), who finished with a flourish after getting stopped in her run at a key stage.
Boughey’s assistant trainer Henry Morshead said: “She’s such a hardy, tough filly. She came out of Ascot great, hasn’t done a lot since and we’ve just freshened her up. She can be quite busy at a high level through the second half of the season, and I’d imagine she’ll have sales hopes later this year.”
Few horses have quite the affinity for the Curragh as Big Gossey (12/1) does, and the highly admirable grey made it course win number six on his 33rd appearance at the track in the €100,000 David Power Memorial Premier Handicap.
Great Gossey
It was a pretty clearcut length-and-a-quarter success for the Allegro Syndicate, ridden by Robert Whearty and trained by Charles O’Brien. The seven-year-old has now won more than €400,000 in prize money.
Whearty said: “This is my third win on him, and I haven’t won on him anywhere else. He’s been great for my career. Although he handles it a bit quicker, he thrives on easier ground. He loves it here.”
It feels like Johnny Murtagh rarely leaves a big weekend at the Curragh without a winner, and Kailasa (9/2) got the locally-based trainer on the scoresheet in the concluding seven-furlong La Celia Wines Irish EBF Fillies Maiden.
Career-best effort
The Aga Khan homebred came home strongly under Ben Coen, opening her account at the fifth attempt and posting a career-best effort in the process.
Murtagh said: “I think the track probably suited her better than the last couple of times at Down Royal and Roscommon. I liked the way she hit the line. She’d have to win again to get into one of the good handicaps at the Irish Champions Festival but we’ll see what’s there for her in the next while.”