Fran Berry best bets for the Sunday card at the Curragh

Curragh Sunday tips: Fran Berry best bets for the Irish Champions Festival

Horse Racing

Sun September 13, 2026 · 2w ago

Our columnist with a race-by-race guide and selections for the Sunday's Irish Champions Festival card at the Curragh.

13:45 Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Bold Lad Sprint Handicap

Mick Appleby had success at the Curragh with Big Mojo earlier in the season and he runs Coul Angel here in the same ownership. He has the benefit of a high draw in stall 19 and it’s often the case in big-runner handicaps at this track, when British-trained runners come over they tend to, in my opinion at least, have five to seven pounds in hand.

If that is the case the likes of Coul Angel, with a good draw, will be very competitive. Sondad represents the Easterbys after his big wins here and at York, but he’s in seven which has to be a negative. Perhaps COUL ANGEL is the one to be with in a wide-open handicap taking on a multitude of stalwart Irish sprint handicappers including the likes of Keke and Bear On The Run.

14:15 Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes

A big auction sales race which can sometimes cut up to be an ordinary race – but not this year. Maybe in keeping with what Sun Goddess did in a similar race at York, STAR OF STATE looks like she’ll be very hard to beat. Ryan Moore rides with Dylan Brown McMonagle suspended and she should be in different league to her rivals on her Sky Bet Lowther second to the high-class Libertango.

She has a handy draw too and it’s very hard to find any negatives for her. Atlantic Bridge is likeable, but this looks all about the favourite and she’ll be winning here if anything like at her best.

14:50 Moyglare Stud Stakes

It’s only a small field but it’s going to be very, very interesting tactically and how the race is going to play out in the second half of the contest given the top two in the market are both better with a lead in their races.

The aforementioned Sun Goddess won the Phoenix before her class came through at York and stepping up to seven furlongs shouldn’t be a problem given how strong she has been in the closing stages of her races. She does however have to confirm form with Green Empress who was second to her rival here in June, beaten three-quarters-of-a-length before beating Dancing Destiny and Alpha in the Debutante Stakes. It all came together for her that day as she got herself out of a pocket to get up in the final strides.

You’d imagine she’ll be held up but I get the impression there’s more to come form Alpha, maybe she’s a project for next season when she develops into her huge frame. In what could be a cat-and-mouse race she’d be a dangerous horse to give rope to on the front end but what develops in the final two furlongs between Sun Goddess and Green Empress will be fascinating.

Perhaps SUN GODDESS is the call in that she seems to be saving something for herself in all her races and if the extra furlong is within her compass, she might well find enough to beat another high-class filly on Sunday.

15:25 BAR 1 Betting Flying Five Stakes

Plenty of these previously met in either the July Cup or the Nunthorpe with Commanche Brave the current market leader. He’s really come into his own as a sprinter this season and was ultra-impressive in the July Cup when last seen and given the manner in which he travelled through the race that day, it would look likely that a stiff five furlongs at the Curragh should be within his compass.

He should be able to overcome the drop in distance and his high draw of 15 is a very beneficial too. Time For Sandals looked unlucky not to at least finish closer to Baccio at York but she has stall five and I’m not sure that’s where you want to be. American Affair will roll along from 18 and perhaps RUMSTAR from 17 might get a smooth tow into this. He ran a big race to finish third in the Nunthorpe, has good form at Sandown which wouldn’t be dissimilar to the Curragh with an uphill finish. He has a real chance of giving Jonathan Portman and Rob Hornby a very big day.

16:00 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes

In comparison to recent years where this race has been sometimes a little underwhelming in terms of the number of runners and some of the winners too, the 2026 renewal looks a proper contest. It’s very hard to discount any of the eight runners.

Monogram was the talk of the country in the lead up to his debut here three weeks’ ago and duly got the job done, getting up late after a slow start. He had to make a move towards the stands’ side as the race developed against the far rail and that was a cracking effort. He’s very much a horse who will feature in Group Ones moving forward and the negatives for Sunday are his lack of experience and the lack of education he received on debut given he did a solo run stands’ side and neve really got in among rivals. With a draw in stall two, it can often get quite tight and he’ll have to be pretty streetwise to deal with the demands of what he will encounter on Sunday for all he’s a high-class prospect in the making.

Aidan O’Brien’ trio are Giant Sequoia, Florida Bay and Haffner. The first two named were first and second in the Futurity in a race in which many felt the winner was given a harder race. Giant Sequoia looks the sort to get better as he goes up in distance and might be hard to beat if getting out in front.

Haffner won the Acomb at York and has to be respected along with British raider Dr Rascal who threaded the eye of a needle to get through on the inside and win the Vintage Stakes at Goodwood, beating Haffner that day.

Folson Blues ran a superb race behind Sun Goddess last time while Porto Vecchio was another maiden winner on debut at the Curragh and is from a blue-chip Moyglare Stud family that includes Homeless Songs. The son of Frankel could be anything – just like Monogram – and at around 14/1 PORTO VECCHIO looks like he might be a spot of value.

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16:35 Comer Group International Irish St. Leger

William Haggas v the O’Briens here with Aidan and Joseph supplying three runners each in a seven-strong field. Scandinavia bids to continue his flawless season back to a mile-and-six, a distance he did win over in his two trials ahead of the Ascot Gold Cup. It would be disappointing were he not to win but Jan Brueghel is a high-class horse in his own right with the question mark over him where he’s been since a good run when fourth in the Hardwicke. He’s one to have a look at in the paddock.

The likely pacesetter Queenstown got away from the field to win a Group Three here last time but is clearly in great form and of the rest Arabian Force has been gelded since finishing third in the Silver Cup at York but if there is a bet – either in a forecast or without the favourite – it’s probably TRUSTYOURINSTINCT.

He’s a Curragh specialist who can you set your clock by and was a taking winner here last time. Given he tends to stalk and finish strongly, perhaps as Scandinavia burns off his rivals, he can come through the pack to finish second.

17:10 Moyglare ''Jewels'' Blandford Stakes

The final Group race of the weekend and this year we have a Classic winner in THUNDERING ON heading up the market. She was a brilliant winner on the rain-softened ground of the Oaks at Epsom and with a quick turnaround and on fast ground, she found herself out of her ground as the race developed in the Pretty Polly three weeks’ later. In hindsight it probably wasn’t a bad effort given how the race panned out for her.

She returns here off the back of a 78-day break and given her early exertions this season you’d hope will have done her the world of good. She should be ready for an autumn campaign and if she turns up ready to go she’ll be hard to beat, even over ten furlongs, providing she doesn’t sit too far off the pace. It’s been hard to make up a lot of ground at this track all season. Symbol Of Majesty could sit prominently and get involved as could Lilt for the Haggas team.

17:45 Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Northfields Handicap

William Haggas had a well-supported favourite in Crown Of Oaks finish third in the race last year and he’s back again with High Degree who brings a good level of form to the table. He has first-time blinkers on and Tom Marquand in the saddle and he looks a worthy favourite but there is some stern home opposition.

That includes Amadeus Mozart who is trained by Aidan O’Brien who finished second in the Golden Gates at Royal Ascot and didn’t perform badly in a Listed race next time. He’s of definite interest as is Fixation for local trainer Johnny Murtagh. He’s two from three in his most recent starts including winning the Ladies’ Derby last time but we’ll turn to the champion jumps trainer to round off the biggest weekend on the Irish Flat calendar in style with a winner.

KAI LUNG, trained by Willie Mullins and with Wayne Lordan riding down at the bottom of the weights is definitely worth a play. He ran very well at Galway on the Tuesday in the Mile, running much better than the finishing position would suggest, beaten around eight lengths from the outside stall. He faced an impossible task that day but definitely showed up well and the step up to ten furlongs and getting weight all round with extra places, he’s an each-way play.