13:45 Curragh

Saturday 27 June 2026

All13:4514:1514:4515:2015:5516:3017:0517:40

Barronstown Stud Irish European Breeders Fund (C & G) Maiden

Off time: 13:45 | Winning time: 1m 26.96s

(6)

Bull Shark¹¹

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: Donagh O'Connor| T: Robson Aguiar

8/1

Placed first 4 starts in maidens, his C&D second easily the best effort. Not surprisingly finished well held facing a much tougher task in Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot (6f, good to firm) 11 days ago but sets the standard back in this company.

Form: 33320

Image of Stars that are filled with the colour gold

(1)

Darivan

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: Seamie Heffernan| T: J P Murtagh

33/1

Foaled February 11. Zarak colt. Dam, 1¼m/10.5f winner, half-sister to smart 1½m winner Wise Girl. One of 2 newcomers for the yard.

Form:

(4)

Giant Sequoia²⁴

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: R L Moore| T: A P O'Brien| BF

4/9

Frankel colt who was all the rage in the betting and shaped well when third of 6 in maiden over C&D (good) earlier in the month. Appeals as the sort to improve markedly and could well take some stopping with that initial effort under his belt.

Form: 3

(8)

Oklahoma

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: Wayne Lordan| T: A P O'Brien

6/1

Foaled April 6. Wootton Bassett colt. Brother to smart winner up to 9f Hawk Mountain and half-brother to smart 1m-9.4f winner Wingspan and useful winner up to 1m Officer. Makes obvious appeal.

Form:

(3)

Shakespeare

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: J Cleary⁽⁵⁾| T: A P O'Brien

15/2

Foaled February 9. 1,300,000 gns yearling, Dubawi colt. Dam, 7f-1¼m winner (including of Nassau Stakes), half-sister to smart winner up to 7f Speak In Colours. Stacks to like on paper.

Form:

(2)

Venetian Power

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: Dylan Browne McMonagle| T: J P O'Brien

14/1

Foaled April 17. St Mark's Basilica colt. Half-brother to 10.7f winner Powerful Hook Head. Dam, German 2-y-o 6f winner, half-sister to useful 2-y-o 6f winner Beauty Crescent out of smart winner up to 1m (2-y-o 7f winner) Up In Time. Worth a second look.

Form:

(5)

Winnie's Wish²⁴

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: Gary Carroll| T: G P Cromwell

150/1

Well held in a couple of 6f course maidens. One for later down the line.

Form: 80

(7)

Yellow Sky

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: Ben Coen| T: J P Murtagh

33/1

Foaled May 4. €140,000 yearling, Night of Thunder colt. Half-brother to 1½m winner Cinammon Coco. Dam unraced half-sister to very smart winner up to 1m (stayed 10.5f) Muntazah out of smart winner up to 9f (2-y-o 1m winner) (stayed 14.6f) Rumoush. Betting can guide.

Form:

Forecasts

Giant Sequoia (4/9), Oklahoma (6/1), Shakespeare (15/2), Bull Shark (8/1), Venetian Power (14/1), Yellow Sky (33/1), Darivan (33/1), Winnie's Wish (150/1)

Aidan O'Brien has won this race numerous times in recent years, most notably with City of Troy in 2023, and that trend looks set to continue in the shape of GIANT SEQUOIA, who shaped encouragingly amid greenness when third in a C&D maiden earlier in the month and seems sure to take a big step forward. Heading up the dangers is stablemate Shakespeare, who fetched an eye-watering 1.3 million gns as a yearling, while Bull Shark sets a fairly useful standard.