Marie's Diamond - set to return to the Curragh
Marie's Diamond - set to return to the Curragh

Big name entries at the Curragh on Saturday


A look at the four-day acceptors for Saturday's feature races at the Curragh.

Marie's Diamond will aim to go one better than on his last trip to Ireland when he runs in the Jebel Ali Racecourse Anglesey Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday. Mark Johnston's youngster chased home Van Beethoven in the Railway Stakes three weeks ago.

Marie's Diamond is owned by Middleham Park Racing and their spokesman Mike Prince said: "He's also in at Newbury on Friday (Rose Bowl), but the intention is to run at the Curragh, having looked at the entries.

"To be honest, the form of the Railway Stakes hasn't worked out. The winner ran no race in the July Stakes (at Newmarket), but that run was probably too bad to be true. Mick Channon's horse that was third in the Railway (Certain Lad) was only mid-division in the Superlative, but we couldn't be happier with our lad and we're keen to go.

"Obviously it depends on what Aidan (O'Brien) runs to an extent and while he could run Sergei Prokofiev, he tends not to run one of his better ones in this, that's what we've found anyway."

Sergei Prokofiev could be the latest juvenile to advertise the strength of the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Won by John Gosden's Calyx, a host of winners have already come out of the race, including runner-up Advertise, who won the July Stakes last week. O'Brien's Sergei Prokofiev finished third, just a neck behind Advertise.

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The Ballydoyle handler has also left in Fairyland, Fantasy, Just Wonderful and The Irish Rover.

Jessica Harrington's Klute is an unknown quantity having won his only race at the Curragh, with Ger Lyons' Viadera falling into the same category. The only other British entry is Karl Burke's True Mason.

Charlie Appleby's D'bai is one of the star names in contention for the Group Two Friarstown Stud Minstrel Stakes. The Godolphin-owned four-year-old finished sixth in the Diamond Jubilee at Ascot on his latest appearance, having previously won a Group Three at Haydock.

O'Brien is responsible for five of the 15 confirmations, the highest-rated of which is Fleet Review. He ran way above expectations in the July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday to finish third at 50-1.

David O'Meara is a regular visitor to Ireland and has three possibles in So Beloved, Larchmont Lad and Suedois, who went close in the Summer Mile on Saturday at Ascot.

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