Curragh Racecourse | Horse Racing Free Tips

First Group 1 For Galileo Gold As Ebro River Best In The Phoenix

On the premises but off the board in a trio of group 2s in his native Britain, Al Shaqab Racing's Ebro River (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) benefitted from a change in tactics to make virtually all in Sunday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. at The Curragh. In front before racing a furlong, the Hugo Palmer-trained 12-1 shot had the stand's rail to help and gave generously for Shane Foley as TDN Rising Star Dr Zempf (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) joined battle approaching the furlong pole. As that rival and the G2 Railway S. first and second Go Bears Go (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}) and Castle Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) made it four across the track there, it was the British raider who gave most to see off Dr Zempf by 3/4 of a length with the 6-4 favourite Go Bears Go a head behind in third. Foley, who was in Saratoga on Saturday and returned to home soil in the morning, said, “Hugo fancied the horse. He's tough and genuine and I just said I wouldn't mind changing tactics, as they had been dropping him in. It looked like there wasn't much pace today and with that tailwind it's hard to get them back.”

Impressive when the 3 1/4-length winner of the Listed National S. over five furlongs at Sandown May 27, Ebro River was a creditable fifth in the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot June 15 before finishing fourth in the G2 July S. at Newmarket July 8. Again in that position in a slowly-run renewal of the G2 Richmond S. at Goodwood July 29, the chestnut enjoyed being allowed to bowl along and as his sire had done in the 2016 G1 2000 Guineas got the rail and refused to relinquish. “He jumped and probably travelled too strongly if anything–we went end-to-end but I had a willing partner,” Foley said. “He had a good run in the Coventry, but had been keen and awkward and doing things wrong. It was an ideal day to make it, as we had the draw and it's all come together. I thought he'd be vulnerable, as he'd travelled so strong in my hands for the first three and I thought they might swallow him but he dug in and I was comfortable in the last 100 yards. I think he's a horse with a lot of talent and the softer the ground the better you'll see of him. He felt like he would get seven furlongs no problem if he learns to relax. He was a lot better today and I felt that even if they went another half a furlong he'd still be in front.”

Ebro River has a chance of emulating the last two years' Phoenix winners Siskin (First Defence) and Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) in getting a mile next year, but his dam Soft Power (Ire) (Balmont) has mainly sprinters in her immediate family. She is kin to Key Rose (Ire) (Key of Luck), who was third in the Listed Flame of Tara S. in its former guise as a six-furlong contest and is a full-sister to the dam of the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. and G1 July Cup hero Slade Power (Ire) (Dutch Art {GB}). This is the dynasty of the GI King's Bishop S. hero The Big Beast (Yes It's True) and the GI Hollywood Derby hero Slew the Dragon (Seattle Slew). Soft Power's yearling filly is by Mehmas (Ire), while she also has a filly foal by Inns of Court (Ire).

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Order of Australia Dominates The Minstrel

Enjoying a step back to seven furlongs for the first time, Ballydoyle's GI Breeders' Cup Mile hero Order of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) made all to get back on track in Sunday's G2 Romanised Minstrel S. at The Curragh. Eighth on his return in Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne S. June 15, the 2-1 favourite was always comfortable using his stride in front and Ryan Moore's body language told all as he easily held off Njord (Ire) (Roderic O'Connor {Ire}) to score by 1 1/4 lengths. “His first run this year at Ascot was just a bit of a mess, as they jumped out and they hacked. It was the first time we decided to sit him in, being his first run of the year,” Aidan O'Brien commented. “He has plenty of speed and he's able to quicken. He is very straightforward. He's made like a sprinter/miler and at halfway he really started to turn it on. He's a horse that takes his racing well, so we were thinking of coming here and then going for the [July 28 G1] Sussex Stakes [at Goodwood]. He's a horse to look forward to and can go to America later in the year and maybe races after that as well.”

Campaigned over middle distances until his visit to Keeneland, Order of Australia took a highly unusual path to the Breeders' Cup Mile having won conditions events over 10 1/2 furlongs and 12 furlongs on Dundalk's Polytrack and this venue respectively in September. Able to stretch out sufficiently to finish fourth in the G1 Irish Derby in June, the bay who was sixth in the G1 Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin in December has been something of an enigma as far as trip is concerned but has now found his metier and will shape a different proposition taking on Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) and Poetic Flare (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) in the Sussex.

Order of Australia's dam Senta's Dream (GB) (Danehill) is nothing short of a sensation, with two Breeders' Cup winners under her auspices including the Filly & Mare Turf heroine Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}) who also captured the G1 Fillies' Mile, G1 Pretty Polly S. and G1 Matron S. She may well have a third waiting in the wings, with last week's GI Belmont Oaks Invitational winner Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) looking for all the world a viable candidate for the meeting this year. Senta's Dream is one of only two foals out of another Filly & Mare Turf heroine in Starine (Fr) (Mendocino), who also annexed the GI Matriarch S. and GII Diana H.

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
ROMANISED MINSTREL S.-G2, €100,000, Curragh, 7-18, 3yo/up, 7fT, 1:27.28, gd.
1–ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (IRE), 139, c, 4, by Australia (GB)
1st Dam: Senta's Dream (GB), by Danehill
2nd Dam: Starine (Fr), by Mendocino
3rd Dam: Grisonnante (Fr), by Kaldoun (Fr)
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Mrs A M O'Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €60,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Ire at 7-9.5f & GISW-US, 11-4-0-1, $1,232,016. *1/2 to Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler of the World {Ire}), MG1SW-Ire, G1SW-Eng & GISW-US, $1,988,198; and Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), GISW-US & G1SP-Ire, $491,612. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Njord (Ire), 136, g, 5, Roderic O'Connor (Ire)–Rosalind Franklin (GB), by Intikhab. (€1,000 Wlg '16 GOFNOV; €14,000 Ylg '17 TIRSEP; €54,000 3yo '19 GOFHIT). O-Blessingndisguise Partnership; B-Mrs Eithne McDonnell (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €20,000.
3–Power Under Me (Ire), 129, g, 3, Mehmas (Ire)–Oonagh (Ire), by Arakan. (€28,000 Wlg '18 GOFNOV). O-Vincent Gaul; B-Ms Barbel Reiss (IRE); T-Ger Lyons. €10,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 2HF, HF. Odds: 2.00, 7.50, 5.00.
Also Ran: Current Option (Ire), Ace Aussie (Ire), Thunder Beauty (Ire), Galtee Mist (Ire). Scratched: Military Style. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Deep Impact’s Snowfall Routs The Irish Oaks Field

It was a mere 8 1/2-length margin on Saturday as Snowfall (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) read the script to become the 15th filly to follow up her G1 Epsom Oaks success in The Curragh's G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks. Always travelling comfortably in fourth under Ryan Moore, the 2-7 favourite coasted to the lead two out and powered clear in now-customary fashion to put safe distance between her and stablemate Divinely (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with Nicest (Ire) (American Pharoah) half a length back in third. While there was no repeat of her astounding 16-length victory in the June 4 Classic, this still represented another impressive marker laid down to the rest of Europe's middle-distance leaders by Ballydoyle's latest sensation. “She's a high-class filly, is straightforward and she has done what she was entitled to do,” commented Ryan Moore, who after a barren spell was bringing up a fourth group 1 or grade I win for the stable in five in the space of two weeks. “We went a good honest pace and we had to fight for a little bit of room off the bend, but she has plenty of class. She has done nothing wrong this year and is very exciting. I wouldn't say anything is too much of a problem for this filly.”

Breaking her maiden in the seven-furlong maiden at this meeting 12 months ago, having almost been brought down when clipping heels on her second start over the same course and distance, Snowfall gradually slipped down the pecking order with four efforts hardly screaming dual Classic winner at three. Fourth in Leopardstown's G3 Silver Flash S. and fifth in the G2 Debutante S. here in August, she was ninth in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. in September prior to running eighth when mistaken for Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket in October. Amazingly, she was 14-1 when dismissing the much-vaunted pair of Noon Star (Galileo {Ire}) and Teona (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) in the G3 Musidora S. over an extended 10 furlongs at York May 12 and passed over by Moore in favour of Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the Oaks and it was Frankie Dettori who enjoyed the long-to-be-remembered cruise through the Epsom feature as a result.

Anything other than an emphatic win here would have been questioned and Snowfall did not disappoint to provide Aidan O'Brien with a sixth renewal to take him level with Sir Michael Stoute for the record. “She's very smart and she has a lot of quality,” he said. “We purposely let her down a little bit from Epsom, because the season is going to roll on and it was soft ground there. The plan was to come here, go on to the [G1] Yorkshire Oaks [at York Aug. 19] and then she'd be ready for the autumn. I'm delighted with her and she's done very well from Epsom physically, she's got very big and strong. Ryan said she has a lot of speed. She goes very strong and she finishes out very well.”

Reflecting on last term, the master of Rosegreen added, “She's a filly that always had a lot of natural ability and we had to get her to relax a little bit, so we didn't worry too much about it as we were always concentrating on switching her off. Things went against her. Her first run was over five-and-a-half furlongs in Navan and Mother Earth was second. Then she came back here to a maiden and Seamus nearly fell off her. That's why it took a few runs to win a maiden and it might have been a blessing in disguise, as she became very mature and grown up from it mentally. Because she was busy early in the season it might have took it's toll at the end of the season, even though she was perfect mentally. She and Mother Earth ran in the Fillies' Mile and we were nearly siding with her over Mother Earth. That's what we always thought of her. We always thought fast ground was her thing and I was very worried in Epsom about her with that ground.”

Bred in the purple she carries, Snowfall is the first foal out of Best In the World (Ire) by the much-missed Galileo (Ire) whose two successes came in the G3 Give Thanks S. and the Listed Silken Glider S. and who was also runner-up in the G2 Blandford S. She is a full-sister to the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and GI Breeders' Cup Turf heroine Found (Ire), who the winner could stand comparison with in time, as well as the G3 Weld Park S. winner Magical Dream (Ire) and the G3 Flame of Tara S. scorer Divinely (Ire) who was third in the Epsom Oaks and runner-up here. Found is in turn the dam of last year's G2 Vintage S. and Listed Chesham S. winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and G1 St James's Palace S.-placed Battleground (War Front). The second dam is the G1 Lockinge S. and G1 Matron S. heroine Red Evie (Ire) (Intikhab). Best In the World has the unraced 2-year-old full-brother to Snowfall named Newfoundland (Ire) and a yearling colt by Dubawi (Ire).

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
JUDDMONTE IRISH OAKS-G1, €448,000, Curragh, 7-17, 3yo, f, 12fT, 2:34.36, gd.
1–SNOWFALL (JPN), 128, f, 3, by Deep Impact (Jpn)
1st Dam: Best In The World (Ire) (GSW-Ire, $141,246), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Red Evie (Ire), by Intikhab
3rd Dam: Malafemmena (Ire), by Nordico
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Roncon, Chelston Ire, Wynatt (JPN); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €232,000. Lifetime Record: G1SW-Eng, 10-4-0-1, $667,020. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Divinely (Ire), 128, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Red Evie (Ire). by Intikhab. O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €80,000.
3–Nicest (Ire), 128, f, 3, American Pharoah–Chicquita (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Donnacha O'Brien. €40,000.
Margins: 8HF, HF, 2 3/4. Odds: 0.29, 11.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Willow (Ire), Party House (Ire), La Joconde (Ire), Ahandfulofsummers (Ire), Mariesque (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Mehmas’s Beauty Inspire Takes The Anglesey

Hammered down to 1-2 favourite for Saturday's G3 Jebel Ali Racecourse and Stables Anglesey S. at The Curragh following his impressive winning debut over six furlongs here June 25, Beauty Inspire (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) duly landed the gamble after a tussle with Andreas Vesalius (Ire) (Caravaggio) and Hadman (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Keen early tracking that duo, the Ger Lyons trainee looked poised for a facile win two out but ultimately had to work to get to the front passing the furlong pole. Grinding it out from there, the Beauty Stable Partnership's chestnut had 1 1/4 lengths to spare over the former in a race marred by the injury to the filly Daisy Peers (GB) (New Bay {GB}). “I was a little bit disappointed he was keen, as beforehand he goes down like a lamb,” commented Keane, who was initiating a group-race double on the card. “He doesn't usually do that at home. He is only a baby and having his second racecourse start, so maybe he was a little bit fresh and eager to get on with it. I was impressed the way he toughed it out considering the way he did it. I'd like to think you would see a better horse the next day with that experience under his belt hopefully.”

Assistant trainer Shane Lyons added, “He wasn't as visually impressive as the first day, but the first day was only a maiden. To be honest, it looks like he hasn't learned an awful lot from the first day. He was very keen in the race and probably disappointed himself a little, as he's a horse that can't hit the front too soon because he's still a baby. He did fight for Colin after. He's a Christian at home and he's obviously a very good horse. We'll take him home and let him tell us when he's ready again. It could be the [G1] Phoenix [at The Curragh Aug. 8] or the [G1] Middle Park [at Newmarket Sept. 25]. He has entries in York as well. Colin said he loved the ground, which is a help. He's a lovely horse, we knew that the first day and we would have been disappointed today if he had been beaten.”

Beauty Inspire is out of Darwell (Ire) (Zamindar), who is a daughter of the G2 Queen Mary S.-placed Ceedwell (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) from the family of the German group 3-winning sprinter Mis Gazon (Ire) (Royal Academy). Her yearling colt is by Dragon Pulse (Ire).

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
JEBEL ALI RACECOURSE & STABLES ANGLESEY S.-G3, €56,000, Curragh, 7-17, 2yo, 6f 66yT, 1:18.33, gd.
1–BEAUTY INSPIRE (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Mehmas (Ire)
1st Dam: Darwell (Ire), by Zamindar
2nd Dam: Ceedwell (GB), by Exceed and Excel (Aus)
3rd Dam: Muja Farewell (GB), by Mujtahid
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€10,000 Ylg '20 GOFFEB; £25,000 Ylg '20 TATIRY). O-Beauty Stable Partnership; B-Michael O'Mahony (IRE); T-Ger Lyons; J-Colin Keane. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $47,032. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Andreas Vesalius (Ire), 131, c, 2, Caravaggio–Vitello (GB), by Raven's Pass. (72,000gns Wlg '19 TATFOA; £75,000 Ylg '20 GOFFUK; £220,000 RNA 2yo '21 GOFFLN). O-Paul H Redmond & T G Fitzgerald; B-Biddestone Stud Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €10,000.
3–Hadman (Ire), 131, c, 2, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Anneli (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). (£55,000 Ylg '20 GOFFUK). O-The Al Mamoura Partnership; B-Merriebelle Irish Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €5,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, HF, NK. Odds: 0.50, 14.00, 5.00.
Also Ran: The Entertainer (Ire). DNF: Daisy Peers (GB). Scratched: Celtic Times (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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