AMBIENTE Friendly is expected to be a supplementary entry for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby next Tuesday and is forecast to start favourite for the €1.25 million race at the Curragh next Sunday.

Trained by James Fanshawe for the Gredley family, Ambiente Friendly finished second in the Derby at Epsom and was over three lengths clear of the rest of the field.

The Epsom third and fourth - Los Angeles and Deira Mile - are also likely to reoppose next weekend and there could be several other British-trained runners in the classic too, including two Group 1 winners.

Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby won the Irish Derby in 2021 with Hurricane Lane and they may challenge again with Ancient Wisdom.

Winner of the Group 1 Futurity Stakes last season, Ancient Wisdom finished second in the Dante Stakes on his seasonal debut in May before running down the field in the Derby at Epsom.

Sunway is another Group 1 winner who may be allowed take his chance at the Curragh Trained by David Menuisier, Sunway won the Criterium International last October and finished seventh of 14 in the Prix du Jockey Club last time out.

Trainer Roger Varian is said to be considering the race for Matsuri, a son of Sea The Stars who was a wide-margin winner of a 10-furlong novice race at Leicester last month.

Much attention will focus on Aidan O’Brien’s running plans following Tuesday’s forfeit stage.

The aforementioned Los Angeles will be his main contender but this week’s Royal Ascot winner Illinois is still engaged, as is Highbury who finished second to Illinois in the Queen’s Vase. Diego Velazquez, Agenda and Chief Little Rock - all of whom were due to run at Ascot yesterday - also remain in Irish Derby calculations.

Pretty Polly

British raiders Bluestocking and Emily Upjohn head the early betting for Saturday’s Group 1 Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly Stakes.

Owned and bred by Juddmonte, Bluestocking (by Camelot) won the Group 2 Middleton Fillies’ Stakes at York by six lengths last month. Ralph Beckett’s charge was denied a Group 1 success by a neck last October when second to Poptronic at Ascot.

Emily Upjohn, owned by the Lloyd-Webbers, is already a dual Group 1 winner for trainers John and Thady Gosden, having won the 2022 Champion Fillies & Mare Stakes at Ascot and the 2023 Coronation Cup. However, both of those races were over a mile and a half, two furlongs further than the Pretty Polly trip.

Furthermore, the mare’s latest three efforts at Ascot, Meydan and Epsom have all been well below her best form.

Aidan O’Brien’s main hope for this race appears to be Ylang Ylang, who started favourite for the Oaks at Epsom this year but was a well-beaten sixth. Her trainer has won the Pretty Polly with a three-year-old on four previous occasions.

Other notable contenders include last year’s runner-up Stay Alert and Tasmania, trained by Sir Mark Prescott.

Every race at the Curragh this season has a minimum value of €20,000. Every race on Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby day is worth at least €100,000 and so a very competitive card is expected.

DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH DERBY WEEKEND SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, JUNE 28

5.00 Cunningham’s Of Kildare Irish EBF 2yo Maiden Of €20,000. 6f.

5.30 Kildare House Hotel Irish EBF 2yo Fillies Maiden Of €20,000. 7f.

6.05 Harp Bar Kildare Handicap (60-90) Of €20,000. 7f.

6.40 O’Dooles Restaurant Irish EBF Maiden Of €20,000. 1m 2f.

7.15 J.J. Mahon & Sons Irish EBF Stayers Handicap Of €40,000. 2m.

7.50 Silken Thomas And Lock 13 Handicap (50-75) Of €20,000. 1m 1f.

8.25 Fitzpatrick’s Mercedes-Benz Apprentice Derby Handicap (50-80) Of €30,000. 1m 4f.

SATURDAY, JUNE 29

1.15 Barronstown Stud Irish EBF 2yo C&G Maiden Of €20,000. 7f.

1.45 Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes Handicap Of €25,000. 6f.

2.20 Airlie Stud 2yo Fillies Stakes (Group 2) Of €120,000. 6f.

2.55 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai International Stakes (Group 3) Of €100,000. 1m 2f.

3.30 Cairn Community Games Pretty Polly

Fillies Stakes (Group 1) Of €300,000. 1m 2f.

4.05 Kildare Village Ladies Derby Handicap Of €30,000. 1m 2f.

4.40 Molton Brown Irish EBF Median Auction Maiden Of €20,000. 1m.

5.15 La Celia Wines Irish EBF 3yo C&G Maiden Of €20,000. 7f.

SUNDAY, JUNE 30

1.10 Paddy Power (Premier) Handicap Of €100,000. 1m. 1f.

1.40 Gain Railway 2yo Stakes (Group 2) Of €120,000. 6f.

2.15 Jebel Ali Racecourse & Stables Dash (Listed) Of €100,000. 6f.

2.50 Dubai Duty Free Rockingham (Premier) Handicap Of €100,000. 5f.

3.25 Colm Mcloughlin Celebration Stakes (Listed) Of €100,000. 1m.

4.05 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (3yo) Of €1,250,000. 1m 4f.

4.40 Dubai Duty Free Derby Festival (Premier) Handicap Of €100,000. 1m.

5.15 Dubai Duty Free Summer Fillies (Premier) Handicap Of €100,000. 7f.

5.50 Dubai Duty Free Irish Ebf Ragusa

(Premier) Handicap Of €100,000. 1m 4f.

RACEGOERS can enjoy performances from Abbaesque, Rake the Ashes, Electric Dreams, Ramblin’ Rovers, the Artane Bands, Newbridge Gospel Choir and more at the Curragh next weekend.

Friday evening’s main entertainment is the fabulous tribute act Abbaesque. This show has it all and their stunning performance will appeal to all ages.

An unforgettable evening of singing and dancing in the Champions Hall is promised following the thrilling action on the track.

On Saturday trad rock band Rake the Ashes headline in the Derby Village Marquee.

This group faithfully continues the rich tradition of Irish ballad performers, drawing influences from The Dubliners, The Fureys, The Wolfe Tones and The Clancy Brothers into its unique and unmistakable sound.

Racegoers will also be invited to take a shuttle bus from the track to Kildare town where Chasing Abbey will be performing.

The three-day Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival closes on Sunday when feelgood party band Electric Dreams take to the stage in the Derby Village Marquee. Celebrate the smash hits of the glorious ‘80s with a thumping set of timeless, singalong pop classics from chart-toppers Erasure, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran, A-ha and Whitney Houston.

In addition, throughout the weekend many local and national musical acts will entertain racegoers between races, including Newbridge Gospel Choir, Artane Bands, Ramblin’ Rovers, Nitetrain and some string music.

CORK’S singing sensation and style queen Lyra is the star judge for The K Club’s Most Stylish Racegoer contest on Saturday.

The singer-songwriter will be in search of the most a la mode attendee embracing this year’s theme of ‘power chic’. The lucky winner will receive three nights in a luxury suite for them and a guest at The K Club.

The prize includes breakfast each morning and dinner every night in each of the luxury resort’s three on-site restaurants - The Barton, The Palmer, and South Bar & Restaurant.

The experience also features a wine cellar tour and tasting experience, 50-minute spa treatment, whiskey tasting for two, and a choice of horse riding, clay-pigeon shooting, archery or air rifle shooting.

On Sunday the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Best Dressed competition will be judged by Irish style icon Lisa Hogan from TV show Clarkson’s Farm.

First prize is a trip to Dubai, five nights at The Jumeirah Creekside Hotel and a spending spree of €1,000 at Dubai Duty Free.

MET Eireann is predicting high pressure for the east of the country all next week, so here’s hoping the sun shines on the Curragh for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival.

The enclosures will be in pristine condition and there will be plenty to keep racegoers of all ages amused.

Racegoers can park on Ballymanny hill and arrive straight into the Derby Village where there will be roving performers and takeaway food offerings.

Primary schools will be closing for the summer next week so why not treat the kids to a great day of entertainment. There is free entertainment throughout each day at The Moyglare Kids Zone and good food options. Corvenieos’ fabulous train returns to the track on Saturday and Sunday.

There will be a wide selection of food available throughout the racecourse with the Curragh’s in-house catering complemented by tasty food truck offerings from Shoda Café, Food Junkie El Fuego, Nolan’s Kitchen and Sidechick.

FANCY breakfast with Michael Kinane next Wednesday? The multiple champion jockey will chat to MC Robbie Irwin about his Irish Derby memories in a special event in Lilywhites Lounge in the Curragh grandstand at 9.15am. Tickets for the breakfast and chat can be purchased on the Curragh website. On Thursday there is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to join retired trainer John Oxx for an early morning bus tour of the Curragh gallops, followed by a full Irish breakfast at Orby’s by Lucy at the racecourse. The bus pulls put at 6.45am from HQ and returns in time for breakfast at 8am. The Kildare Derby Festival has a unique and exciting mix of events for all ages including the Wheelie Derby on Thursday evening, Chasing Abbey on Saturday evening in the Square and much more! Go online for the exciting schedule of events!

Web: thoroughbredcountry.ie

Web: curragh.ie/derby

THE Curragh offers a free shuttle bus for all fixtures, kindly sponsored by their security partners Manguard Plus.

Shuttle buses from Newbridge, Naas and Kildare town centres will run throughout each day of the Festival. Shuttles from Newbridge and Kildare train stations will link with Iarnrod Eireann arrivals to the stations and bring people to and from the racecourse on each day.

For those travelling from Dublin, the best way to reach the Curragh is by train to Newbridge and Kildare train stations where you can pick up the regular shuttle to the track.

Shuttles buses will start operation in time to allow arrival before the first race and finish two hours after the last race. Buses are scheduled with Irish Rail’s main train arrival and departure times in mind and will be updated and displayed on curragh.ie in the days leading up to the fixture.

Save money on tickets online

THE best value tickets for Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby weekend are available online so make sure to pre-order soon. And don’t forget under 18s go free when accompanied by an adult.

Standard adult tickets purchased at the racecourse on the day will cost €20 on Friday, €30 on Saturday and €40 on Sunday. The Curragh’s pricing for what is their most popular racemeeting of the year is hugely competitive when compared to other high profile sporting events.

A limited number of Curragh Party Bundles including general admission, racecard, €10 food voucher and €5 Tote voucher are also available online for each day.

Racegoers can also choose to elevate their experience with a Curragh Sharing Picnics available to pre-order through Goffs Champagne Bar on the Curragh website. These picnics include a variety of delicious savoury and sweet snacks and treats for two.

Fri Sat Sun

Adults €15 (€20) €25 (€30) €35 (€40)

Seniors€15 €20 €25

U25s €15 €20 €25

(prices in brackets indicate gate pricing on the day)

*U18s free when accompanied by an adult

THE Curragh is set to break new ground by staging its first nine-race card in living memory on Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby day.

The move is designed to enhance the racing product on offer to World Pool bettors, and also brings a prize money boost of €50,000 to the Maddenstown Premier Handicap for three-year-olds. The nine-furlong contest will be switched from the opening Friday card to Sunday, and will double in value to €100,000. Last year’s Irish Derby card attracted total betting of HK$251 million (€29.5 million) through the collaboration of global totes.

Web: curragh.ie

Email: info@curragh.ie

Tel: 045 441205

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