Tag: Curragh betting

Curragh Sunday Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

What a great week at Doncaster! Outstrip (9-4) completed four winning days in a row after Lightning Thunder (5-2), The Lark (15-8) and Ihtimal (7-4). The Godolphin colt was very impressive in winning the Champagne Stakes, just as his stable companion had produced a scintillating performance on Friday in the May Hill.

We cross the water on Sunday for the Irish St Leger meeting and I’m hoping that the O’Brien team can provide me with a fifth consecutive winner in the form of Darwin. This colt is an American import and everyone at Ballydoyle has been very excited about him since he arrived. O’Brien has passed up several tempting engagements in a bid to take it slowly with the imposing son of Big Brown and he looks the stand-out bet on a top quality card.

He arrived with a big reputation and was sent off at 11-10 for his debut at Naas where he sauntered to comfortable victory. His next start was a Group 3 at the Curragh and he faced stiff opposition in the form of Gordon Lord Byron. Leitir Mor, usually employed as a pacemaker for Dawn Approach but no mean performer himself, set the pace with Joseph O’Brien content to track him in second place. Gordon Lord Byron was settled in Darwin’s slipstream and the race began in earnest at the two-furlong marker.

For a moment it looked as though Darwin had a fight on his hands but he responded well to pressure and was going much the better at the finish, drawing a length and three-quarters clear. Gordon Lord Byron has won twice since, most notably the Haydock Sprint Cup which he won in a canter. On that evidence, Darwin is going to take high rank in the mile division before the end of the season.

Stable companion Indian Chief looked decent earlier in the season when second in the Dante Stakes at York but has been disappointing since whilst Elleval and Brendan Brackan are well exposed. Fort Knox would be a bigger danger if the going eases in time as he was not disgraced behind Royal Blue Star on his first start since the Irish Guineas.

The Irish St Leger itself has turned out to be slightly disappointing in terms of quality. Galileo Rock ran at Doncaster, Brown Panther misses the race through injury and Simenon is also absent. I hope that Ahzeemah can uphold the form of his victory over Simenon at York and boost the latter’s Melbourne Cup claims.

Darwin 4-6 Bet365

Moyglare Stud Stakes Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The only race with ante-post prices chalked up for the weekend at the moment is the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday. Aidan O’Brien is normally one to keep his cards close to his chest but by supplementing Tapestry he has signposted his leading fancy here.

The daughter of Galileo already has a course and distance victory to her credit having won the Group Two Debutante Stakes earlier this month and it is no surprise that her early quote of 3-1 was quickly snapped up. She is now a top price of 2-1 and challenging the brilliant Albany Stakes winner Kiyoshi for favouritism.

O’Brien has also declared Bluebell, Minorette, Perhaps and Wonderfully among the 13 fillies still in the Group 1 contest. Perhaps set a decent pace in the Debutante but Tapestry overhauled her without coming under too much pressure to win by a length and three-quarters. The winner did not show brilliant acceleration but was well on top at the line and we know that she stays the seven furlongs well.

Charlie Hills has kept Kiyoshi under wraps since her devastating win at Royal Ascot. Much was made of her swerve across the course in the closing stages and there is a slight concern about how she will respond when she comes under serious pressure. What cannot be denied is that she was clearly the best filly that day and it is worth taking a closer look at those that finished behind her.

The runner-up Sandiva won a Group 2 at Deauville on her next start whilst Lucky Kristale (6th) has won the Cherry Hinton and the Lowther Stakes (both also Group 2 races). Princess Noor (9th) came out and won the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot (Group 3). When Kiyoshi won her maiden at Goodwood she beat Ihtimal who has since won the Group 3 Sweet Solera Stakes.

Connections seem happy that her violent deviation off a true line at Ascot was due to greenness and hitting the front too soon. Jamie Spencer had apparently compared her favourably with Irish Guineas winner Just The Judge prior to her win at the Royal meeting so there will be some long faces if she doesn’t put up a good performance on Sunday.

It is not a two-horse race and I have tons of respect for Clive Brittain’s Rizeena. She won well in the Queen Mary at Ascot and I was disappointed when she found Lucky Kristale too good at Newmarket. She didn’t appear to be at her best that day but ran a lot better last time when third in the Prix Morny behind No Nay Never. She was slowly away but made up plenty of late ground to finish on the heels of the winner. Had this race been over six furlongs, I’d fancy her strongly but going up to seven from five seems a big step.

Jim Bolger has stated that he does not which he will run from Agus Spraoi, Peony Fairy and Prudent Approach whilst Dermot Weld is double-handed with Afternoon Sunlight and Carla Bianca. I’d be very surprised if any of them are in the same class as Tapestry, Kiyoshi and Rizeena.

I think if you’d taken the 3-1 Tapestry you would probably be quite happy with yourself but Kiyoshi has to be the form choice. She is a top price 7-4 and may even go to 2-1 if the gamble on Tapestry is sustained.

Kiyoshi 7-4 Bet365