Our columnist previews the action on Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby day at the Curragh.
It’s a cracking card at the Curragh on Sunday and with the World Pool in play there are nine races on show which include a number of big-field handicaps.
More on those in a moment but all eyes are focused on the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby which looks like being a cracking renewal.
We have Raaheeb pitching up here for Owen Burrows with Rossa Ryan bidding to win his home Classic for the first time.
He is unbeaten in two starts and looks a big player off the back of his win in the Sandown Classic Trial. He is very much in the “could be anything category” for a trainer who has proved over the last two or three seasons that when pitches his horses in a high-end contest, they rarely leave without a cheque.
It’s very significant he’s coming over.
You then throw in the Betfred Derby form. Winner Christmas Day has got to prove he’s as effective on a livelier surface as both his Epsom and big Leopardstown win before that, came on more testing ground.
Maybe it was the step up in trip that brought about the improvement last time and he is completely unexposed over a mile-and-a-half, but the suspicion remains he might just excel with more cut in the ground than he’ll get on Sunday.
You have to throw in the third, James J Braddock, as well, although he’ll have to behave better beforehand than he did at Epsom. He did well to run as well as he he did and the turn of foot he showed to win the time before suggests he’s capable of running well providing he handles the preliminaries.
What about Benvenuto Cellini? A controversial non-runner after finishing tenth in the Betfred Derby, it’s a bit disconcerting to see the form and it having no reference to that run.
He remains quite an exciting colt providing he behaves himself in the stalls and he should have optimum conditions to showcase his ability on Sunday.
There’ll be a good gallop up front and for all that the Ballydoyle team have a strong hand, I just feel Raaheeb might be the one to take a significant step forward with James J Braddock closing the gap on the Epsom winner too.
The opening GAIN Equine Nutrition Irish EBF Fillies Maiden is a race to keep an eye on. It’s proved to be a strong contest over the years and the top horse, Alpha, out of the great racemare Alpha Centauri, should be hard to beat off the back of a very promising debut effort at Leopardstown.
I’d expect her odds to reflect her chance unfortunately but she could be exciting,
There's a strong UK challenge elsewhere on the card including Crown Of Oaks for William Haggas in the Dubai Duty Free International Stakes.
He was ultra-impressive when winning the Balmoral on QIPCO Champions Day at Ascot and you’d imagine connections are hoping the rain arrives at the Curragh on Saturday evening.
It’s a cracking race with the likes of Purview and Isaac Newton in there but it’s great to have Crown Of Oaks over as it is Zarathos in the Dubai Duty Free Derby Festival Handicap earlier on the card.
Dylan Cunha has booked Dylan Browne McMonagle to ride the four-year-old who was touched off at Epsom last time.
He’s gone up five pounds but would look the stand-out in the race to me taking only mainly exposed local rivals.
And in the Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort Maddenstown Handicap Haggas has another big player in King Of Earth.
He won on the all-weather last time and looks a big player from a mark of 85. I do feel the UK handicappers get a fair shot at things in Ireland and his biggest danger would look to be Johnny Murtagh’s Rolltight who looks an exciting prospect but stall 18 is far from ideal for him.
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