17:30 Curragh

Saturday 21 July 2018

All14:3515:1015:4516:2016:5517:3018:0518:40

Darley Irish Oaks (Fillies Group 1)

Off time: 17:33 | Winning time: 2m 32.54s

(4)

Bye Bye Baby²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: J A Heffernan| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 108| C

20/1

Group 3 winner over 1m2f here in May and finished a distant third behind stablemate Forever Together in the Epsom Oaks next time out. Disappointed back on quicker ground last time though in the Pretty Polly and may need rain to be seen at her best.

Form: 13-8134

(5)

Forever Together^p1²⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: D O'Brien| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 116| BF| D

7/2

Mightily impressive winner of the Epsom Oaks and probably unsuited by the drop back in trip when runner-up in the Pretty Polly last time. Strong claims back up to 1m4f here and any rain would be a bonus to her chance. Wears first-time cheekpieces.

Form: 43-212

(3)

Magic Wand^t³⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: R L Moore| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 113| D

10/11

Impressive when landing the Cheshire Oaks and while she was a disappointing fourth in the Epsom Oaks, the ground and track were both fair excuses. Very impressive when winning a Royal Ascot Group 2 since and we may not have seen the best of her yet.

Form: 7-3141

(2)

Mary Tudor^h²⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: W J Lee| T: W McCreery| OR: 102| BF

25/1

Placed in a Group 2 here as a juvenile and returned with a good Listed win at Navan. Not in the same form at Leopardstown next time but she returned to form with a good second at Naas last time and potentially more to come stepped up in trip.

Form: 234-172

(1)

Romiyna²⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Declan McDonogh| T: D K Weld| BF| D

33/1

A wide margin maiden winner at Gowran Park in May but failed to follow up that effort at Naas last time in the Trial for this. Wasn't given a hard time once her chance had gone that day but she has plenty to find to mix it with these rivals.

Form: 16

(7)

Sea of Class³⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: James Doyle| T: W J Haggas| OR: 107

11/4

Confirmed the promise of her Newmarket debut with two Listed wins at Newbury. Plenty to like about the manner of each of those starts and given her pedigree, she ought to improve with this step up in trip. Certainly worth a crack at this level.

Form: 211

(6)

Tissiak^t²⁴

Age: 3| Weight: 9-0| J: Wayne Lordan| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 94| C

66/1

Won her maiden here last month over 1m2f on her third career start. Couldn't build on that in Listed class last time though and has plenty more on her plate here; hard to fancy.

Form: 2215

Forecasts

Magic Wand (10/11), Sea of Class (11/4), Forever Together (7/2), Bye Bye Baby (20/1), Mary Tudor (25/1), Romiyna (33/1), Tissiak (66/1)

Aidan O'Brien has won three of the last 10 renewals of this and each of his three runners warrant respect here. Preference is for MAGIC WAND given the way she bounced back to form with a four-length success at Royal Ascot last time in the Ribblesdale and provided the rain stays away, she could be hard to beat. One that wouldn't mind rainfall is Epsom Oaks winner Forever Together in her bid to replicate what Enable did last year and become a dual Oaks winner; she was unsuited by the step back to 1m2f on fast ground in the Pretty Polly last time out. Sea Of Class may be able to reward her trainer's patience and she arrives entirely unexposed here.