Curragh review and replay | Alpha impresses for Moore and O'Brien

Gossey brings the house down

The cheers were audible as Big Gossey (5/2 favourite), fourth in last year's renewal, poked his head in front on the line in the Jebel Ali Racecourse & Stables Dash Stakes.

The evergreen nine-year-old was having the 89th start of his career and has now won 12 of them with 10 coming at the Curragh.

Carrying a penalty in the six furlong listed contest, he was held-up in midfield by Billy Lee who switched Big Gossey towards the stands' side to challenge on the inside of California Dream and looked in trouble as the leader Tango Flare drifted across the course towards Bodhi Bear.

Lee, however, had timed his challenge to perfection and Big Gossey hit the line strongly, winning by three parts of a length, with Tango Flare holding on for second by a nose from Bodhi Bear.

"He's an unbelievable horse," said part-owner Gary O'Brien who rides him out every day.

"I don't think we'll ever see anything like it ever again. I know Aidan is breaking all the records but he won't break that record in a hurry!"

Big Gossey, who is trained by Charles O'Brien, was applauded to the winner's enclosure and Lee was happy to enjoy the moment on a horse he described as 'a legend'.

"He's fierce popular and he's definitely a David and Goliath type horse; he's small but he's big in heart and just delighted he won again. I gave a punch to the air which I wouldn't normally do but you just have to enjoy this lad because it's hard to get horses like him. It makes a day like today because people will be talking about him for the day hopefully.

"He's as enthusiastic as ever and loves his racing. He ran a cracker the last day and I didn't think he had to find anything to be in the shake-up. Things didn't go smoothly, just at halfway I was in behind a wall of horses and had to switch left but once I got on the rising ground in the last furlong, he really picked up and hit the line really strong.

"He's just a legend of a horse and you couldn't plan to have a horse like him, it just happens and you just have to enjoy him.

"I'd ride out here at the Curragh every morning and you'd see Gary across there and he'd be giving Gossey a pick of grass and just enjoying him. The horse enjoys his routine and they blend well together, it's just nice."

Classic prospect Alpha away and gone

Aidan O'Brien made it five wins on the bounce in the GAIN Equine Nutrition Irish EBF Fillies Maiden courtesy of Alpha (8/11 favourite).

Alpha jumped smartly under Ryan Moore who set the initial gallop aboard the imposing daughter of Sea The Stars. She retook the lead passing the two furlong pole and quickened clear with her ears pricked to win in impressive fashion.

Stablemate Ibelieveicanfly, behind Alpha on debut when the pair were 2/1 joint-favourites, followed her home at a respectful distance of six lengths with Livenka two and a quarter lengths away in third.

Paddy Power and Sky Bet responded by halving Alpha from 20/1 to 10/1 for the 1000 Guineas.

O'Brien told Racing TV: "Ryan just said when he started to ask her from the four to the three and then she picked up, and then she picked up from the three to the two, and then he said she picked up again from the two to the one, and then he said she picked up again all the way to the line. So, he just felt she’s an, unusual, big, strong, powerful filly.

"She's green and she's a baby. She had her first run at Leopardstown and the reason we started her there, we thought maybe we could go to the Chesham with her, and she ran a lovely race but then the Justify horse [Aix La Chapelle] came out and won his maiden very easily here and we decided for him to go to the Chesham instead. Obviously, he played up in the stalls and didn't run.

"It might have been a blessing in disguise. She had an easier time to come back here and she'll slowly build on her way.

"I think that [the Debutante Stakes] is what we'd like to do and then to the Moyglare. She'll get much further than seven, on to a mile. She's big but she does herself well.

"Ibelieveicanfly was a little bit too forward for her the last day. She jumped and she landed a little bit handier than we would have wanted and we wanted to make sure she wasn't going to do that again. The filly Ryan rode was dropped in the last day and she was happy to make the running today so we wanted Wayne's [Lordan] filly to have another good experience today. She had a lovely draw behind Ryan and Wayne just let her relax the first half but came home very well and looking forward to seeing her the next day in a maiden."

Listed joy for Murtagh

Johnny Murtagh picked up his third winner across Irish Derby weekend as Zodiac Bear toughed it out to land the Listed Dubai Duty Free Celebration Stakes.

Ben Coen dictated the pace on the 4/1 shot, who was building on a Group 3 comeback run at Leopardstown earlier in the month, and although 13/8 favourite loomed large as an obvious danger, he couldn't quite fully overhaul the teak-tough winner, who had half a length to spare at the line.

There was another length and a quarter back to third home Cowardofthecounty for Joseph O'Brien, a stablemate of the runner-up.

It wasn't the plan to make the running but Ben said he jumped well and was able to dictate in front. He said it was plan B but it worked, I kind of knew we had a chance a furlong down because Ben hasn't ridden any of my winners this week and I knew he was hungry! It was good to watch, a good finish but when the second came to him he battled it out well.

"He did need the run a bit (last time), he came on fitness-wise. He's a hard horse to train, just little niggly things, but on his day he's a decent horse and today he looked like a good one."

Rest of the action...

There was a tight finish to the Dubai Duty Free Rockingham Handicap as four horses spread almost right across the track dived for the line, Mick Mulvany’s 25/1 shot Genesis winning out under jockey Wesley Joyce.

Genesis was away sharply from stall 11 and latched onto the pace-setting Toca Madera who showed bright speed down the centre of the course.

Joyce sent his mount to the lead around two out and kicked for home, looking in control with a furlong to travel as he angled more towards the far side, but the hat-trick seeking mare Sarahmae finished with a rattle down the centre to get within a neck at the line.

Dark Ace and Cuban Grey were also finishing with purpose more towards the stands’ rail and they were a further half-length and the same behind in third and fourth respectively.

Mulvany said: “This is a fast horse, he was well worth his chance to have a go. I’m delighted we were brave enough to enter him and that we went on with it.

He’s a good, genuine horse. Since he came to me he really hasn’t done much wrong.

The last day was the first time we tried him over five, at Cork. Cork is a very fast five and I would have put down that today, the stiffer track was going to be a help. We rode him a little bit different today, we kicked a bit earlier and he has such a high cruising-speed so we just let him go. It worked out so hopefully it’s onwards and upwards.

“We’ve always been lucky enough here and our horses seem to like the track.

“We have good owners and it’s nice to have them.”

An emotional owner Michael Foley, who had recently celebrated a wedding anniversary, said: “The dam won for us here in the Curragh, a Captain Rio mare, and the granddam won in Leopardstown. A half-brother to the great-granddam won here in the Curragh for Jim Bolger, a horse called Bagenalstown Boy. We sold it and he had a few little issues but Ruth’s (wife) brother got a syndicate together and they won with him here in the summer after Ascot.”

“This has been forty years in the making, we’re so thrilled,” added Ruth Foley.

Pierre Royal delivered at odds of 12/1 to win the Dubai Duty Free Derby Festival Handicap over a mile.

The Adam Caffrey-ridden four-year-old could be spotted travelling well in behind rivals towards the back of the field approaching halfway and he gradually made his ground on the outside of the pack.

Lee booted the more prominently-ridden Booyea (10/1) into the lead on the run to the furlong-pole but Pierre Royal soon had his measure and was kept up to his work by Caffrey to score by a length and a quarter, with Playin Cool a further three lengths back at 10/1.

Pierre Royal, a gelded son of Kingman, was having just the fifth start of his life and second to new trainer Ado McGuiness having been picked up from Dermot Weld and Moyglare Stud Farm for 48,000 guineas at the autumn horses-in-training sales.

Caffrey, who had got down close to his minimum weight for the ride, said: “I’m delighted and delighted for Ado especially; all the owners and the staff who put in the hard work too. He was great today.

“It all went pretty smoothly, I was happy enough with stall eight, I knew I could stick towards the edge and keep it simple. They went a good, even gallop and it was quite smooth throughout really.

"He’s very lightly-raced and a nice horse. The first day I rode him, he was probably a little bit disappointing but it was on ground that wasn’t ideal for him. But I spoke to Chris (Hayes, first jockey for Weld) and he said it was a good purchase and that he’s a nice horse, and we thought that with his work too.

"I'd say the next spot you’ll see him is Galway I’d imagine. You never know then after that but he rode like a very nice horse today."

"He's a smashing horse and there's plenty to look forward to," added McGuinness. "He was the most inexperience horse in the race and he was going to come on again for it, but he's been going very well since he joined us and we gave him plenty of time. It was great."

More from Sporting Life

• Free bets
• Racecards
• Fast results
• Full results and free video replays
• Horse racing news
• Horse racing tips
• Horse racing features
• Download our free iOS and Android app
• Football and other sports tips
• Podcasts and video content

Safer gambling

We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.

If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.

Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org