The Curragh – Sunday 23rd July
Sunday’s card at the Curragh may not have the Group 1 action that we saw on Saturday, but there is still some competitive action to enjoy. Our Racing experts have looked through the Pattern races on Sunday’s card and have identified a couple of selections to finish the weekend off in style.
3:00 Romanised Minstrel Stakes (Group 2)
TARAWA
There is very little between the 10-runners on paper but the horse with the most potential for improvement must be Tarawa. Trained by Dermot Weld in the Aga Khan colours, she is from a very successful family and has already proved herself more than capable at this level. With her 3-year-old weight for age allowance she is effectively 5lbs well in with most of her rivals and if she can match the level of form that she has shown in 3 starts this season, that may well be enough to land this. She was less than 2-lengths behind Zarinsk on her comeback at Leopardstown in May and built on that effort when she was 4th, beaten 3-lengths, by Tahiyra in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. Although she was a beaten favourite last time in the Listed Dubai Duty Free Stakes at the Curragh, she was perhaps unlucky to bump into a resurgent Bold Discovery and the pair had come some way clear by the time they crossed the line. She should get a decent pace to track here and may well be able to gain compensation for her narrow defeat last time.
4:00 Michael John Kennedy Memorial Stakes (Group 3)
CADEAU BELLE
Most of the runners have been tried at this level before and have fallen short of the required level. With a Fillies only race there look to be several sets of connections who are hoping to pinch some black type for the broodmare career, but there are some progressive types towards the bottom of the race card. Moon de Vega is the most obvious starting point as she has won both starts since switching to Paddy Twomey. Although Salt Lake City did not get a clear run when they met last time, Moon De Vega still ran on very strongly and looked like a Filly who was still on an upward curve. However, for all that she looks more than capable of winning at this level, she does have weight to concede to the 3-year-olds and that could leave her vulnerable to Cadeau Belle, who surely doesn’t have the 9lbs to find that the weights would allow.
Johnny Murtagh’s daughter of Harry Angel is 2 from 2 in her short career and after an impressive winning debut, she took the step into pattern company in her stride when she landed the Listed Kooyonga Stakes at Navan in June. She holds Cigamia on that form and if she continues to improve, she should have too much for her elders here in receipt of 9lbs.
Selections:
- 3:00 – Tarawa
- 4:00 – Cadeau Belle
*Prices subject to fluctuation.
