Curragh Racecourse | Horse Racing Free Tips

Australia’s Cayenne Pepper Earns Well-Deserved Blandford Win

Honouring her Late owner Jon S. Kelly, Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) gained deserved compensation for a series of creditable defeats in major prizes when landing Sunday’s G2 Moyglare “Jewels” Blandford S. at The Curragh. Runner-up in the June 28 G1 Pretty Polly S. and July 18 G1 Irish Oaks at this venue, the 3-1 second favourite sat second behind Amma Grace (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) before being sent past two out by Shane Foley. Staying on strongly from there, she had a comfortable four-length margin back to that 50-1 outsider at the line, with Thundering Nights (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}) a further 1 1/2 lengths away in third. “I’m glad for her–she deserves that as she’s been knocking on the door in good races all year,” jockey Shane Foley said. “I know it was a group 2, but really it was like a group 1 with the horses in it. I thought we were in trouble with her early doors, so it’s nice to get her back. I thought we had been riding her wrong, trying to get her to relax over a mile and a half when her biggest attribute is to jump and travel. She has a long stride and puts them to the sword over that trip when you let her stride on. I was able to get a lead in a true-run race and she enjoyed it.”

Unbeaten in her first three starts at two, with this track’s G3 Flame of Tara S. among her conquests, Cayenne Pepper was fourth in the G1 Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket in October and was next seen chasing home Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the Pretty Polly. Outstayed by Even So (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the Irish Oaks, the chestnut was unable to live with Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) when second in Cork’s G3 Give Thanks S. again at a mile and a half but minutes after this race was run the watching world found out what that form was worth at ParisLongchamp. “That’s the true Cayenne Pepper,” Kate Harrington said. “She had her ideal ground conditions and a good tow into the race. This is her ideal trip, too. We had a lot of issues with her in the Spring and couldn’t keep her straight–she had looked a little bit light throughout the season, but today was the first day she looked really strong in the paddock. She’s really starting to come to herself and is thriving. She is in the [G1 Prix de l’] Opera, but we might bypass that as she is invited to the [GI] Queen Elizabeth II [Challenge Cup] at Keeneland. She could go for that and then stay on for the Breeders’ Cup. It would be nice to get her to America, as Sarah [Kelly] couldn’t get over due to COVID so we’ll try to do our best to get her over there for her to see. Today is emotional, as Jon would have loved to have been here enjoying it all. I’m sure he’s watching down willing us all on.”

Cayenne Pepper’s dam Muwakaba (Elusive Quality) is kin to the Listed Newmarket S.-placed Morghim (Ire) (Machiavellian) and his full-sister Modraj (GB), who is in turn the dam of the group 3 winner Just Cruised In (SAf) (Just As Well). The second dam is the G3 Lingfield Oaks Trial runner-up and blue hen Allegretta (GB) (Lombard {Ger}), whose G1 2000 Guineas-winning son King’s Best flew her flag. Also responsible for the legendary G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Urban Sea (Miswaki), she is therefore connected to Australia’s sire Galileo (Ire) and Sea the Stars (Ire), which means that Allegretta features 4×3 in Cayenne Pepper’s pedigree. While this family’s G1 Irish Derby hero Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}) could not quite get the job done at Doncaster on Saturday, Cayenne Pepper has provided more high-profile success for one of the stud book’s finest. Muwakaba also has a yearling colt by Churchill (Ire) and a foal full-brother to Cayenne Pepper to come.

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
MOYGLARE ‘JEWELS’ BLANDFORD S.-G2, €175,000, Curragh, 9-13, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT, 2:09.18, gd.
1–CAYENNE PEPPER (IRE), 128, f, 3, by Australia (GB)
1st Dam: Muwakaba, by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Saleela, by Nureyev
3rd Dam: Allegretta (GB), by Lombard (Ger)
(195,000gns Wlg ’17 TATFOA). O-Mrs Sarah Kelly; B-GHS Bloodstock & JC Bloodstock (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €105,000. Lifetime Record: MG1SP-Ire, 8-4-3-0, $348,655. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Amma Grace (Ire), 128, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Polished Gem (Ire), by Danehill. O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Dermot Weld. €35,000.
3–Thundering Nights (Ire), 128, f, 3, Night of Thunder (Ire)–Cape Castle (Ire), by Cape Cross (Ire). (€17,000 RNA Wlg ’17 GOFNOV; €19,000 RNA Ylg ’18 TIRSEP). O-Shapoor Mistry; B-Manjri Farm (IRE); T-Joseph O’Brien. €17,500.
Margins: 4, 1HF, 1 3/4. Odds: 3.00, 50.00, 9.00.
Also Ran: Bolleville (Ire), Gold Wand (Ire), Zawara (Ire), Celestial Object (Ire), Magic Wand (Ire), One Voice (Ire), Lemista (Ire), Elfin Queen. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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New Approach’s Mac Swiney In Futurity Upset

It was about time for another Jim Bolger star to come forward and Saturday saw his outsider Mac Swiney (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) duly prevail to put Coolcullen back in the headlines in The Curragh’s G2 Galileo Irish EBF Futurity S. Hardly advertising his claims when ninth in Leopardstown’s G3 Tyros S. over this seven-furlong trip Aug. 6, the 28-1 shot was the subject of a no-nonsense ride from Kevin Manning tracking Ballydoyle’s pacemaker Ontario (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) throughout. With that 20-1 shot refusing to give up on the lead, the homebred had to get down to bare knuckles late on and only managed to subdue that front-runner in the final yards along with the 4-5 favourite Cadillac (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Approaching the line, it was Mac Swiney who had more to give and he forged a half-length verdict over the market-leader, with the same margin back to the game Ontario in third. “He did it well on ground he wouldn’t really appreciate,” Una Manning commented. “The plan now is to go for the [G1] National Stakes. When he won here the last time he said he was his Derby horse. It seemed to be a strong race. Hopefully we can get a good result in the National Stakes now and go from there.”

Mac Swiney, who had finished fifth behind TDN Rising Star Hudson River (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in a course-and-distance maiden June 28 before breaking his maiden again over this track and trip July 18 prior to his Tyros reversal, is inbred 2×3 to Galileo. His unraced dam Halla Na Saoire (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) is a full-sister to the G2 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner and G1 Irish Derby third Light Heavy (Ire) and a half to Halla Siamsa (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) who produced the G1 Dewhurst S. hero Parish Hall (Ire) from a mating with Teofilo and his full-brother Hall of Fame (Ire) who was third in this. The third dam Amoura (Northfields) is also the ancestress of the Listed Curragh S. winner An Ghalanta (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who is in turn the dam of this year’s Listed Empress S. winner Time Scale (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) and Bletchley (GB) (Makfi {GB}) who was runner-up in the GII Nassau S. and G3 Albany S. Halla Na Saoire also has a yearling colt by Vocalised.

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
GALILEO IRISH EBF FUTURITY S.-G2, €95,000, Curragh, 8-22, 2yo, 7fT, 1:29.68, sf.
1–MAC SWINEY (IRE), 131, c, 2, by New Approach (Ire)
1st Dam: Halla Na Saoire (Ire), by Teofilo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Siamsa, by Quest for Fame (GB)
3rd Dam: Amoura, by Northfields
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Mrs J S Bolger; B/T-Jim Bolger (IRE); J-Kevin Manning. €57,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $79,070. Werk Nick Rating: First SW from this cross. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cadillac (Ire), 131, c, 2, Lope de Vega (Ire)–Seas of Wells (Ire), by Dansili (GB). (€40,000 Ylg ’19 GOFOR). O-Alpha Racing 2020; B-Sunderland Holdings Inc (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €19,000.
3–Ontario (Ire), 131, c, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Timbuktu (Ire), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €9,500.
Margins: HF, HF, 1HF. Odds: 28.00, 0.80, 20.00.
Also Ran: Snapraeterea (Ire), Trusted Ally (GB), Van Gogh, To Glory (GB), Southern Cape (Ire). Scratched: Military Style. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Lawman’s Pretty Gorgeous Stylish In the Debutante

Saturday’s G2 A.R.M. Holding Debutante S. resulted in the trifecta of Joseph-Donnacha-Aidan O’Brien in that order as the oldest son of the Ballydoyle master held sway with TDN Rising Star Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}). Runner-up to Donnacha’s Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Silver Flash S. over this seven-furlong trip on fast ground at Leopardstown Aug. 6, John Oxley’s 3-1 shot was always travelling easily in a share of fourth and when sent on by Shane Crosse brushed aside that rival to gain the lead with a furlong remaining. Hitting the line strong, she had 2 1/2 lengths to spare over the 7-4 favourite, with the same margin back to Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) who fared best of the Ballydoyle runners. “She’s a very good filly,” Joseph commented. “We were a bit worried about the ground today, but she obviously handled it. Being by Lawman, we thought that gave her a chance. We felt that she’d definitely get closer to Donnacha’s filly after her run in Leopardstown, as we thought the Curragh would be more suitable for us.”

Introduced over a mile at Bellewstown July 2, Pretty Gorgeous lived up to her title with a Rising Star-earning five-length defeat of the useful Talacre (Flintshire {GB}) and may have been racing against the bias when failing to claw back Shale in the Silver Flash. “We were looking for an easy spot for her debut first time at Bellewstown and she qualified for that race, but as it turned out it actually was quite a good race,” her trainer added. “The [G1] Moyglare [Stud S.] looks the logical next step. She has proven that she’s versatile ground-wise. I thought Shane gave her a lovely cool ride today, it was a lovely confident ride. She’s a big strong lady. She cost a good few quid as a yearling, but she was an outstanding physical specimen at the sales. The sky is the limit for her.”

Pretty Gorgeous is the second black-type winner for Lady Gorgeous (GB) (Compton Place {GB}) after the Listed Prix Nureyev scorer Alwaab (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}). She is kin to the G3 Prix Fille de l’Air third Kartica (GB) (Rainbow Quest), who is in turn the dam of the G1 Coronation S., G1 Prix Rothschild and G2 Duke of Cambridge S. heroine Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), while the listed-winning second dam Cayman Sunset (Ire) (Night Shift) was also placed in the GII Canadian H. and GIII All Along Breeders’ Cup S. hails from the family of the GII Lexington S. and GIII Everglades H. winner Royal Roberto (Roberto). Lady Gorgeous’s yearling colt by Shalaa (Ire) was purchased by Peter and Ross Doyle Bloodstock for 90,000gns at last year’s Tattersalls December Foal Sale.

Saturday, Curragh, Ireland
A.R.M. HOLDING DEBUTANTE S.-G2, €80,000, Curragh, 8-22, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:28.53, sf.
1–PRETTY GORGEOUS (FR), 128, f, 2, by Lawman (Fr)
1st Dam: Lady Gorgeous (GB) (SP-Eng), by Compton Place (GB)
2nd Dam: Cayman Sunset (Ire), by Night Shift
3rd Dam: Robinia, by Roberto
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€55,000 Wlg ’18 ARQDE; 525,000gns Ylg ’19 TATOCT). O-John C Oxley; B-EARL Ecurie Haras du Cadran, Enrico Ciampi, SAS I.E.I. & Ecurie La Boetie (FR); T-Joseph O’Brien; J-Shane Crosse. €48,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $84,490. *1/2 to Alwaab (Fr) (Toronado {Ire}), SW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Shale (Ire), 128, f, 2, Galileo (Ire)–Homecoming Queen (Ire), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Coolmore (IRE); T-Donnacha O’Brien. €16,000.
3–Mother Earth (Ire), 128, f, 2, Zoffany (Ire)–Many Colours (GB), by Green Desert. (€150,000 Ylg ’19 GOFOR). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Grenane House Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien. €8,000.
Margins: 2HF, 2HF, 3/4. Odds: 3.00, 1.75, 5.00.
Also Ran: Meala (Ire), Snowfall (Jpn), Miramis (Ire), Palifico (GB), Finest (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Lope de Vega’s Lucky Vega Well On Top In the Phoenix

Denied in the G2 Railway S. at The Curragh July 18, Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) returned to the same course and six-furlong strip on Sunday to dominate a competitive renewal of the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. Despite the presence of four group-winning colts Steel Bull (Ire) (Clodovil {Ire}), The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}), Ventura Tormenta (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Laws of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}), the market spoke mainly for Lucky Vega who was supported into 4-1 second favouritism and also Ballydoyle’s maiden St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) who was the surprising 7-2 favourite. In the race itself, there was never anywhere else to look but the eventual winnner as Zhang Yuesheng’s bay cruised under Shane Foley tracking the leading duo. Unleashed by Shane Foley to swamp Aloha Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) with 200 yards remaining, he was soon clear and had 3 1/2 lengths to spare over that rival at the line, with a short head separating her and The Lir Jet. Those placings were later reversed by the stewards, with Aloha Star having been judged to have intimidated the third. “That’s Mr Zhang’s first group 1 winner worldwide–I’m absolutely delighted for him,” trainer Jessie Harrington said. “”He was much more streetwise and on his work at home he had really started to come to himself.”

Unveiled as soon as the lockdown was eased by Jessie Harrington, Lucky Vega struck at the first time of asking in the six-furlong Naas maiden June 8 in which Battleground (War Front) was fifth. Jumping on Laws of Indices a touch too early in the Railway, he had been outstayed in the final yards and with that in mind Foley was keen to wait and wait this time. As that rival missed the break this time and failed to fire on all cylinders, there was no genuine threat in front and it was only when the G2 Airlie Stud S. winner Aloha Star arrived on the scene that Lucky Vega was let down for his closing effort. The result was emphatic, placing him undoubtedly in the higher category of winners of this race, particularly as this looked one of the most keenly-contested editions of recent times.

“He’s a nice horse going forward and Shane said he’s getting quicker,” Harrington added. “He probably needed it the last day because he had won his maiden without getting into a battle. The last day when he got into a bit of a battle it just hardened him up. We thought he was working well, but you never know until you go racing and everyone said this was a strong renewal. We’ll have to sit down and think now, but Shane said we’d probably be thinking about the [G1] Middle Park. I think he’ll get seven as well. Last year was all about the fillies, so it’s great this year to come up with a good colt.”

Lucky Vega was further demonstrating the widely-recognised potency of his sire, becoming his 11th top-level winner. Out of the unraced Queen of Carthage (Cape Cross {Ire}), he is therefore a grandson of the classy Satwa Queen (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}) who scored five times in group company, most notably in the G1 Prix de l’Opera. Satwa Queen, whose best performer was the German listed scorer Important Time (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), is kin to the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero Spadoun (Fr) (Kaldoun {Fr}) and the Listed Prix Roland de Chambure scorer Anbella (Fr) (Common Grounds {GB}). She is in turn the second dam of this year’s Listed Dragon S. winner Gussy Mac (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Also related to the GI Manhattan H. hero Desert Blanc (GB) (Desert Style {Ire}) and the G3 Somerville S. winner and G1 2000 Guineas runner-up and G1 St James’s Palace S. third Wichita (Ire) (No Nay Never), Queen of Carthage’s yearling filly is by Free Eagle (Ire), while she has a colt foal by Footstepsinthesand (GB).

Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
KEENELAND PHOENIX S.-G1, €200,000, Curragh, 8-9, 2yo, 6fT, 1:13.35, g/y.
1–LUCKY VEGA (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Queen of Carthage, by Cape Cross (Ire)
2nd Dam: Satwa Queen (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB)
3rd Dam: Tolga, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN; 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€110,000 Wlg ’18 GOFNOV; €175,000 Ylg ’19 GOFOR). O-Zhang Yuesheng; B-Kilcarn Stud (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €120,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $170,033. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–The Lir Jet (Ire), 131, c, 2, Prince of Lir (Ire)–Paper Dreams (Ire), by Green Desert. (€9,500 Wlg ’18 TATFBR; £8,000 Ylg ’19 GOFFPR). O-Qatar Racing Ltd; B-Donal Boylan (IRE); T-Michael Bell. €40,000.
*3–Aloha Star (Ire), 128, f, 2, Starspangledbanner (Aus)–Zain Art (Ire), by Excellent Art (GB). (€42,000 Wlg ’18 GOFNOV; €67,000 Ylg ’19 TIRSEP). O-D Keoghan & Partners Partnership; B-Patrick Beirne(Jnr) (IRE); T-Fozzy Stack. €20,000.
Margins: (3HF, NO, HF). Odds: 4.00, 5.00, 14.00.
Also Ran: Laws of Indices (Ire), St Mark’s Basilica (Fr), Bubbles On Ice (Ire), Steel Bull (Ire), Giorgio Vasari (Ire), Admiral Nelson (GB), Ventura Tormenta (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
*Aloha Star was demoted from second.

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