Latest horse racing news from UK, Ireland, and around the world.

Al Riffa makes class count with stylish Curragh Cup win

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Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa stamped his class on the Michael John Kennedy Curragh Cup.

The dual Group One winner had played a supporting role in three previous outings this year, finishing third in the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia and fourth in the Prix Ganay in France before finding the globetrotting Rebel’s Romance too strong Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Stepping up to a mile and three-quarters for the first time, the Dylan Browne McMonagle-ridden 4-5 favourite saw out the trip in some style, rocketing clear late on to claim Group Two honours by five lengths from Shackleton.

Stable representative Kevin Blake said: “That was brilliant, he’s a horse with a lot of class and he was last to first in a National Stakes here in fairness to him.

“No one ever felt that he needed that trip, but it made sense. He was relaxed, Dylan said he was very easy to ride over that trip, he quickened up and it was really good.

“I’d say it’s most likely that he’ll go straight to the Irish Leger from here. There is a possibility of the Group One that he won in Berlin last year (Grosser Preis von Berlin), but I’d say it’s more likely he’ll go straight there.

“The Melbourne Cup is in the minds thereafter. We all know what comes with that but that would be what we’d like to do, if we’re allowed.”

New Zealand and Ryan Moore won the opening race at the Curragh
New Zealand and Ryan Moore won the opening race at the Curragh (Niall Carson/PA)

Odds-on favourite New Zealand led home a one-two-three for Aidan O’Brien in the Juddmonte Chaldean Irish EBF Maiden.

Despite finishing only seventh on his debut at this venue three weeks ago, the Frankel colt was sent on his way the 10-11 favourite to open his account in a race won by Henry Longfellow and The Lion In Winter in the past two years and was soon bowling along in front under Ryan Moore.

He was under pressure from two furlongs down, but kept responding to his rider’s urgings and had just enough up his sleeve to repel his previously unraced stablemate Issac Newton by a nose, with another Ballydoyle newcomer Action – a half-brother to dual Derby winner Lambourn – an eyecatching third.

Of the winner, O’Brien said: “He’s a lovely big horse, he hasn’t a clue what he’s doing yet – he’s massive, the power and the size of him.

“We’ll go gentle and let him come on. He learned a lot from the first day, we liked him before that and he was very green. The first day he was a little bit slow away and you could see him today, he never travelled a yard.

“He’s a big horse and he’s all power. I know he’s not short of speed, but he looks like a big, middle-distance horse.”

The Ado McGuinness-trained Go Athletico (20-1) swooped fast and late under Shane Foley to claim top honours in the €100,000 Kwiff Supercharged Betting Scurry Handicap.

Go Athletico (right) gets up to win the Scurry Handicap
Go Athletico (right) gets up to win the Scurry Handicap (Niall Carson/PA)

“It’s a nice birthday present – I’m the big 60 today,” said McGuinness.

“I suppose class is permanent and form is temporary and he did lose his form big time. He slipped back down and we were very disappointed with him.

“He’s a good horse and he’ll probably pitch up in Galway now in the Ahonoora Handicap, that’s where he’s going to do next.”

Stop The Nation was a 15-2 winner of the Lavazza Sprint Nursery Handicap for trainer Jack Davison and 3lb claimer James Ryan.

“I had a baby boy at 23.59 last night and James Ryan lost his claim there. It’s a real feel-good winner on many fronts,” said Davison.

“He’s a good colt and he’s learning the whole time. He’ll be a lovely horse for the Goffs Million.”

Jan Brueghel poised to be the Ballydoyle big gun in the King George

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Aidan O’Brien has suggested the Coolmore partners are leaning towards running Jan Brueghel rather than dual Derby winner Lambourn in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot.

Last season’s St Leger hero Jan Brueghel opened his account for the current campaign in the Coronation Cup at Epsom last month and looks set for a rematch with the runner-up that day, French star Calandagan, in Ascot’s midsummer highlight.

While the Ballydoyle handler was not ruling out the possibility of Epsom and Curragh winner Lambourn taking on his elders when speaking at the Kildare track on Saturday, connections appear more likely to chart a path towards a third Classic bid in the Betfred-sponsored Leger at Doncaster in September.

O’Brien said: “At the moment I’d say Jan Brueghel is most likely to go to the King George, with Continuous.

“Lambourn is still on the boiling pot for it, but I don’t think he’ll be forced into it by any means and he is a three-year-old.

“Jan Brueghel seems to be in very good form and everyone seems to be very happy with him. I’d imagine the lads might let him go there.

“That would mean Lambourn would have a couple of easy weeks and he might go to the Great Voltigeur (at York), even though he’s a Group One winner, and kind of set him up for the Leger.

“They haven’t really decided yet, but reading between the lines that’s what could happen.”

Delacroix won a pulsating renewal of the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown
Delacroix won a pulsating renewal of the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown (Chris Radburn/PA)

O’Brien also confirmed his Eclipse first and fourth Delacroix and Camille Pissarro are both being trained for next month’s Juddmonte International at York, despite bookmaker support prompting speculation the former could drop back to a mile for a clash with Field Of Gold in Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes, while the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe remains the long-term target for Los Angeles.

“We have Delacroix and Camille Pissarro being trained for the Juddmonte at York and the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. They’ll be taking that slot at the moment,” he said.

“Los Angeles is on a break and he’ll maybe go to the Prix Foy on Arc trials day with the view of going to the Arc with him.

“Delacroix loved Leopardstown and was very good around there. Whether the lads decide to go to York or not before that, they’ll make that decision. He seems in good form at the moment.”

Meanwhile, in an earlier interview with ITV Racing, O’Brien revealed his Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Lake Victoria may not run again.

The Frankel filly was ruled out of Royal Ascot last month after suffering a setback and has not yet returned to work.

O’Brien said: “She is not back in exercise yet. She’s doing very well physically, but she’s not back in work yet.

“John (Halley, vet) will make the decision on whether she comes back into work for this year or is left alone until next year or is retired altogether. They’ll be decisions that will be made as weeks go by.”

The trainer is preparing both Whirl and Bedtime Story for the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, but admitted he was “a little bit uneasy about running them against each other”, hinting Whirl could be rerouted to the Yorkshire Oaks should his Epsom and Curragh Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk head elsewhere.

Gstaad and Ryan Moore after winning at Royal Ascot
Gstaad and Ryan Moore after winning at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

With the highly touted Albert Einstein “probably not” going to run going to run again this season, O’Brien’s juvenile team for the second half of the season is set to be led by Coventry Stakes winner Gstaad, who has several Group One options coming up.

O’Brien added: “Gstaad is very well, he’s come out of the Coventry very well. We’re thinking he could be a Heinz (Phoenix Stakes) horse, he could take in Deauville (Prix Morny) and he could take in the National Stakes and he could end up being a Dewhurst horse at the end.”

Anthelia comes out on top in Super Sprint thriller

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Rod Millman continued his love affair with the Weatherbys Super Sprint, as Anthelia regained the winning thread to deny Royal Ascot winner Havana Hurricane in a thrilling finish to the Newbury feature.

The Devon handler credits the valuable two-year-old contest as salvaging his career when winning it for the first time with Lord Kintyre in 1997 and after striking again with Bettys Hope in 2019 was making it a hat-trick with the Middleham Park-owned filly – who was picked up for a bargain price of £6,000 as a yearling.

Anthelia was sent off the 6-1 co second-favourite and looked booked for second when Eve Johnson Houghton’s Windsor Castle Stakes victor and 6-4 market leader Havana Hurricane burst onto the scene inside the final furlong.

Regular partner Lewis Edmunds was also conjuring maximum effort from the daughter of Supremacy, though, and after showing the blistering speed that had been a hallmark of her campaign to date, Anthelia stuck her head down to be rewarded with a short-head success.

“I didn’t know if she had got there and she had to make a bit of ground inside the final furlong as Eve’s horse got first run on us,” explained Millman.

“I don’t try to buy cheap horses, I try to buy nice horses cheaply. She’s a lovely filly to be involved with and we’re so lucky to have a nice filly like this.

“It’s a wonderful race for any trainer, but especially the small trainers and it kept me in business many years ago when I was struggling and then won it with Lord Kintyre. After that people sent me horses and we’ve been fine ever since.

“We always try to have a nice horse for it and I’ve spent a lot of money on entry fees as the trouble is you have to enter them before you know how good they are. So you’re sort of running for your own prize-money, but if you’re lucky enough to have the right horse it’s a great race.

“My wife always says, what’s mine is half hers and what’s hers is hers, so she’ll enjoy this.”

Connections had deliberately skipped Royal Ascot after landing Sandown’s Listed National Stakes earlier in the season, but suffered disappointment when trying six furlongs for the first time in Newmarket’s Empress Stakes last month.

However, having bounced back with a lucrative £134,092 haul, Anthelia could now go in search of further sales race bounty before dipping her toe in at a higher level.

Anthelia in full flow
Anthelia in full flow (Jonathan Brady/PA)

“We’ll probably go for Harry’s Half Million (York, August 21) and then there’s some nice Group races later in the season,” said Millman.

“The Empress went wrong last time, but she’s a good filly and proved it today. It wasn’t that she didn’t stay in the Empress, she was just in the bad position but it wasn’t the jockey’s fault, it was my fault as I gave the instructions and I gave myself a good telling off afterwards.

“I think she’s quite nice, but it is always another ball game taking on the big girls. She’s effective over five and six furlongs and once you start trying to go further you’ve got to be a better class again to be effective at that distance, but I have not ruled it out.”

Johnson Houghton, meanwhile, could potentially seek immediate compensation at the Qatar Goodwood Festival with the runner-up having been thwarted in her continuing quest for a first Super Sprint victory.

Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton had to settle for second
Trainer Eve Johnson Houghton had to settle for second (Nigel French/PA)

Johnson Houghton said: “I’m thrilled but gutted is the best way of putting it, it’s my unlucky race.

“I’m pleased for Rod but gutted for us and I think if we hadn’t had the rain he might have won, but I can’t possibly say that as there is no way of knowing and the winner is a very good filly.

“She’s a Listed winner, we’re a Listed winner and they should have finished like that really as they are two good horses and two cheap horses we have done well with, so clever us – aren’t Rod and I clever.

“We might as well have a look at Goodwood now, but I don’t think he wants soft ground as it just dents his turn of foot. I don’t know if we’ll go go five or six furlongs just yet, I need to have a think about it.”

Plate smasher Cobden delivers with Ballysax Hank

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Ballysax Hank completed a successful raid when partnered by Harry Cobden in the Unibet Summer Plate Handicap Chase at Market Rasen.

The Gavin Cromwell-trained six-year-old was one of a handful of Irish horses to travel over for the valuable summer feature, with Cobden taking the ride in his quest for a third successive triumph in the big handicap.

The duo started as the 9-4 favourite, though Ballysax Hank may have given his backers a few tense moments when making his rider’s job rather difficult with some fractious behaviour at the start.

The chestnut travelled at the rear and had plenty of horses to pass when he turned for home, but with plenty up his sleeve he was well able to pick them all off and score by an easy five lengths from Mickey Bowen’s Courtland and Nicky Henderson’s Bhaloo in third.

Explaining how the ride came about, Cobden said: “I was buying cattle and Keith Donoghue called me while I was in the ring at Salisbury.

“He said, ‘do you want to ride Ballysax Hank on Saturday?’, and I said, ‘yes, put me down on him’. Keith and Gavin were talking and they said I can ride the horse and it has worked out great.

“I was only hacking away for much of the race, but I knew as soon as I turned in it was all over. I just didn’t want to hit the front too soon.

“Gavin is brilliant. There was no real instructions and he doesn’t tie you down to anything. The horse was playing up at the start, and I didn’t want to get among the other horses.

“I was a bit further back than I should have been, but sometimes you have got to do what is right.

“He was very fit and ready for the day, although there was a second I thought I was coming off him (at the start), but he jumped well and was always in a nice rhythm.

“All us professional lads are paid to do a job and when you are on the horse’s back you have got to do what you think is right as opposed to what you are told to do.

“He crept into it really well and when asked he picked up. It is great how it has worked out and I’m delighted.”

Minnie Hauk makes it a Classic double with battling Curragh victory

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It may have been more solid than spectacular, but Minnie Hauk eventually wore down Wemightakedlongway to avoid a shock and double her Classic tally in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh.

The Frankel filly got the better of stablemate and subsequent Pretty Polly Stakes winner Whirl when landing the Oaks at Epsom in early June and was a prohibitively-priced 2-11 favourite to follow up against six rivals in the Irish equivalent.

Settled in third for much of the mile-and-a-half contest, with fellow Aidan O’Brien-trained runner Island Hopping deployed in a pacesetting role and Oaks and Pretty Polly fourth Wemightakedlongway splitting the pair in second, Minnie Hauk was under pressure to close the gap with two furlongs to go.

Joseph O’Brien’s Wemightakedlongway proved a willing adversary, but the red-hot favourite eventually took her measure and passed the post a length and a quarter in front under Ryan Moore to give O’Brien his eighth Irish Oaks success.

“We thought we’d be sitting second and Dylan (Browne McMonagle, on Wemightakedlongway) got the second position, so Ryan had to make a decision, he was either going to sit second on Dylan’s inside, in behind Wayne (Lordan, on Island Hopping), or pull back out of it in a way that he wouldn’t have been boxed in,” said the Ballydoyle handler.

“Obviously that’s a decision Ryan had to make quickly and it was the right decision. It wasn’t over-fast. We knew Joseph’s filly was a good filly and Dylan gave her a very good ride.

“She (Minnie Hauk) is one of those fillies that you’re probably never going to see the best of until the tempo is very strong and very high. She cruises through her races.”

Minnie Hauk with jockey Ryan Moore after winning the Irish Oaks
Minnie Hauk with jockey Ryan Moore after winning the Irish Oaks (Niall Carson/PA)

Minnie Hauk is the 2-1 market leader for next month’s Yorkshire Oaks with Paddy Power, who also make her the 10-1 joint-favourite for the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

O’Brien added: “The boss (John Magnier) asked Ryan where to go with her and he said to go to the Yorkshire Oaks. The boss said, ‘what about if we give her a break and train her for the Vermeille and give her a French Arc prep?’.

“All those things are open and we’ll see how she is. I think she can do either of those things, but if she’s going to the French trial she’d have to have a couple of easy weeks. Obviously if she’s going to York, she wouldn’t have those couple of easy weeks.

“She had a very easy race today, I’d say. The tempo wasn’t very strong so she should come out of it well. I’d imagine in the next week or so we’ll have a fair idea, but they are her two options.

“Looking at her she’d probably love York. She has a big stride and it’s a Flat track, too. Obviously the boss will decide with Derrick (Smith) and Michael (Tabor).”

Arizona Blaze sparkles in Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh

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Arizona Blaze secured the biggest victory of his career to date in the Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.

Adrian Murray’s charge has run a number of excellent races in top-class company, finishing on the podium in the Norfolk Stakes, Railway Stakes, Phoenix Stakes and at the Breeders’ Cup last season, while just last month he finished a neck second to Time For Sandals in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.

Also a dual Group Three winner, the Amo Racing-owned Arizona Blaze was a 9-4 joint-favourite for this Group Two assignment and having been positioned on the front end from the start David Egan, he finished off strongly to deny Ed Walker’s hat-trick-seeking British raider Mgheera by two lengths.

Amo Racing supremo Kia Joorabchian said: “We’ve had a tough time at the Curragh. This guy deserved a big win, to be honest.

“He’s been second in a Breeders’ Cup and second in a Group One at Royal Ascot, this was a well-placed race for him.

“The ground was going a little bit softer than he’d like it because he likes really quick ground, but he just handled it very well.

“He’s never run a bad race really. Adrian and Robson (Aguiar) have done an amazing job with him in the past two years.

“I probably have to thank Aidan (O’Brien) for not running a horse in this race!”

Arizona Blaze (left) was a clear-cut winner
Arizona Blaze (left) was a clear-cut winner (Niall Carson/PA)

He added: “The entire team at Amo, whether it’s in the UK or here, needed this little boost. We’ve had a little bit of a tough start to the season, but it’s been good.

“You’re in sport and I’ve been in sport all my life. Unfortunately in football it happens as well. You’re going up for a big Champions League game and you get a hamstring, a knock or something goes wrong. You have to cope with those kind of moments and suck it in.

“This year we’ve had a very big investment in Freemason Lodge and a very big investment across the globe. That investment has to still show itself.

“We’ve had so many injuries this year – one after the other. We had a massive setback just recently with Ghostwriter, who unfortunately had an injury.”

Coral cut Arizona Blaze to 8-1 from 12-1 for the Nunthorpe at York, with Paddy Power 10-1 from 20-1 about the Sprint Cup at Haydock.

Joorabchian said: “We haven’t made any plans, this is a good moment for us.

“Everyone always said every time I came to the Curragh we always seemed to not get a winner, so I’m happy he’s actually broken my duck.

“I think we’ll aim for the Breeders’ Cup. I think he’ll get a Group One somewhere.”

Rage Of Bamby is 33-1 winner of Hackwood Stakes

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Rage Of Bamby produced a 33-1 shock in the Hallgarten And Novum Wines Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

The winner of a Listed affair at Newmarket in October, Eve Johnson Houghton’s charge was well adrift of her best in her first two starts of this season, but was back to something like when not beaten far when sixth in a Group Three at York last weekend.

Despite that she looked to have it to do in a strong renewal at the same level, but was in the firing line from the off as she raced slightly away from the others on the near side of the pack, and while Regional and the gambled-on King’s Gamble looked like they would battle it out, Charlie Bishop had lots of horse underneath him and swept past to score by a length and three-quarters over King’s Gamble.

Johnson Houghton said: “We always had faith she would win a Group race, but that faith has been tested somewhat this year.

“She ran really well at York last time when possibly I had left her a bit short. I know it was a bit quick to run her back and it looked a Group One in all but name – I wasn’t expecting her to win, (but) I did think she would run a big race. On her day she is really good.”

For the winning syndicate Hot To Trot Racing it was a 100th winner since their formation, with members now able to dream of bigger days later in the season before the five-year-old bows out at the conclusion of the campaign.

Racing manager Sam Hoskins added: “We’ve been going since 2012 and it’s our 100th winner so to do it in a Group Three is really, really special. We have 80 members in the syndicate and it is just brilliant.

“Eve has always thought so much of her and it was quite a big decision for us to enter her in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“But when she finished out the back of the television at York in the (1895) Duke of York (Stakes) it was really disappointing and she ran the same at Haydock the next time and she was almost borderline retirement. Because we lease the filly, it was a big decision for the breeder to keep her in training this year and we were feeling rather low.

“She has nothing to lose now as she will go off to stud at the end of the year, so she could maybe head to Haydock for the Sprint Cup or something, we’ve got to have a go.

“We’ll enjoy today first and we’re over the moon, it shows you have to always have a go, but I don’t think we saw this coming.”

Cavern Club makes all the noise in Summer Hurdle

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Cavern Club rolled in with a late run to land the Unibet Same Race Multi Summer Handicap Hurdle for James Owen and Gavin Sheehan.

The chestnut was last seen winning at Chester on the Flat in June, but has plenty of hurdling experience on his CV and was a good runner-up in a Cheltenham novice in November.

He started at 8-1 for his switch of codes at Market Rasen, and after a good round of jumping he reeled in Kihavah to prevail by a length and a quarter, as his stablemate Nibras Gold finished third.

“He won his last start on the Flat and that is something I quite like to do,” said Owen.

“I always thought he was well handicapped, he’s just getting it all together.

“He’s been second at Cheltenham and he’s been running in some decent handicaps.

“On the Flat he wants a fast pace to run at, so we knew the make-up of the race would suit him. He travelled well and Gavin gave him a lovely ride. That was his best jumping performance, he ran very well at Cheltenham, but probably just hit the front a bit too soon.

“He’s got a lot of wins in him, this horse, we’ll have a little break now and then he’ll go back to Chester.

“He likes Chester and he’s got owners up there, then we’ll probably have a go at one of the early Cheltenham meetings.”

Owen had earlier struck with Laravie, who made it four wins on the bounce when taking the Get Best Odds Guaranteed At Unibet Novices’ Hurdle under Sean Bowen.

The six-year-old arrived in Lincolnshire having taken her three prior starts by good margins, and duly added a fourth successive victory as the 4-9 favourite.

“That was good, she’s a smart mare and she’s obviously come here for a four-timer,” said Owen.

“The visor has made a real difference to her, we’ll try to get some black type with her now in Ireland.

“She’s only small but she’s done very well to keep winning under a penalty.”

And Owen claimed a third win on the Lincolnshire track’s flagship day, with Prince Quattro reeling in the font-running Gavin to claim the Unibet More Extra Places Everyday Handicap Hurdle as the 3-1 favourite under 5lb claimer Alex Chadwick.

Broughshane made a winning stable debut for Mickey Bowen in the Unibet Moneyback As Cash Races Handicap Hurdle in the hands of the trainer’s brother, James.

Previously trained by Jonjo and A J O’Neill, the seven-year-old struck at odds of 15-8 when holding off a challenge from Adrian Keatley’s Maghlaak.

“He’s a chaser really, we just thought we’d give him a go here to see where we are with him,” said the winning trainer.

“His work is very good at home and we did think he’d have a very good chance.

“We’ll see what we do next, we’ll just enjoy today but eventually he will go back chasing.”

Bowen then teamed up with his other brother, Sean, as both took second victories on the card via Lermoos Legend, who landed the Try Unibet’s Smartview Racecards Handicap Chase at 4-1.

True Love powers home for Railway Stakes demolition

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Royal Ascot heroine True Love showed her male counterparts the way home with a scintillating display in the GAIN Railway Stakes at the Curragh.

Aidan O’Brien had saddled 14 previous winners of the Group Two contest, with Rock Of Gibraltar (2001), George Washington (2005) and last year’s victor Henri Matisse (2024) among them, and it was significant his chief hope this time around was the sole filly in a field of four.

Having filled the runner-up spot on her first two starts, True Love (1-2 favourite) was an impressive winner of the Queen Mary Stakes and followed up in fine style, travelling strongly under Ryan Moore before quickening five lengths clear of stable Puerto Rico with the minimum of fuss.

O’Brien said: “Obviously she’s fast so we weren’t sure she’d get six (furlongs). I suppose we were finding out a little bit about her really.

“She was a Queen Mary winner so it was very hard for Ryan not to ride her. We couldn’t be happier with her really.

“Obviously the Phoenix Stakes would be there for her as well as the Prix Morny and the Cheveley Park. It was a Group Two today and she’d be ready for one of those Group Ones now.”

Coolmore supremo John Magnier was making a rare appearance on track and said: “She’s a good individual and she’s very well bred, it’s the Galileo family.

True Love after winning the Railway Stakes at the Curragh
True Love after winning the Railway Stakes at the Curragh (Gary Carson/PA)

“Somebody told me that this is the first time in 30 years that a filly has won this race.

“There is a real pedigree there and a pedigree like that is like a road map, anything can happen.”

When asked whether he felt True Love could be a contender for next year’s 1000 Guineas, for which she was cut to 16-1 from 25-1 by Paddy Power, Magnier added: “Fingers crossed. It’s no mean feat to win the Queen Mary, either.

“The old breeders used to really think a lot of that race, it started a lot of families.”

Royal Dubai relishes extra distance on first start for Owen Burrows

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A hunch from Owen Burrows to explore options at 10 furlongs paid dividends, as new recruit Royal Dubai thrived over the extra yardage in the BetVictor Steventon Stakes at Newbury.

Previously trained by Marco Botti, the five-year-old has been a consistent operator in good company at distances around a mile, but after a switch to Lambourn to join Burrows, he tried a mile and a quarter for the first time since his three-year-old days.

The 10-1 outsider of five in the hands of Callum Rodriguez, he relished conditions to see off Brian Meehan’s 5-2 chance Rashabar for Listed honours, teeing up further action at this trip.

Burrows said: “I’m very fortunate to get him, he’s been with us a month and came in great shape from Marco’s.

“The owner sportingly left it to me and I just felt at a mile he was looking exposed and with his pedigree it might be worth trying him over a little bit further again.

“He had a fair bit to find at the ratings and we were hoping for a drop more rain, but it was really pleasing and I’m still learning about him to be honest.

“He’s a Listed winner now and we’ll have to look at the programme book, but there’s the Rose of Lancaster (at Haydock) on August 9 which we could have a look at and this is just a great start.”

Ralph Beckett’s 6-4 favourite Egoli could have booked a return to York or a trip to the Qatar Goodwood Festival after confirming the promise of his previous Knavesmire victory in the Run For Your Money At BetVictor EBF Novice Stakes.

Beckett said: “I like him, he’s a nice horse. He’s in the Gimcrack Stakes at York for a reason and I would like to go back there. When he won there last time he was impressive.

“He might have an entry for the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood as well, although I’m not sure that would be his track. He’s quite a heavy shouldered horse and I’m not sure it will suit him and it might want a bit of juice in the ground there for him to go there.

“We’ve all had No Nay Nevers which are fidgety, but he’s not, he just eats and sleeps and is a lovely sort of horse.

“He was very professional today and he goes well. It takes a good horse to win a Newbury novice under a penalty. Hopefully there is more to come and he’s one to look forward to, I think. There’s a bit of size and scope to him, so he shouldn’t be just a two-year-old either.”

Sir Mark Prescott’s Consent (11-2) defied a near 300-day absence to land the Darley EBF Fillies’ Novice Stakes in the hands of Luke Morris.

Prescott said of the Denford Stud-owned winner: “She’s always been rather flighty, she went back to Denford in the winter and they’ve done a great job. She’s been slow to come in her coat, she’s just come right the last month.

“She’s got ability and a proper pedigree. She’s in all those races, which when you make the entries you think you might look mad in a few weeks, but she’s in them all. She’s an interesting animal.”

O’Brien: Lake Victoria future not certain

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Aidan O’Brien has revealed his Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Lake Victoria may not run again.

The Frankel filly enjoyed a faultless juvenile campaign, winning each of her five starts including Group One strikes in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Cheveley Park and at the Breeders’ Cup.

Following an interrupted preparation she could finish only sixth on her return to action in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, and while she bounced back to her best with a brilliant display in the Irish equivalent, she was subsequently ruled out of Royal Ascot and has not yet returned to work.

O’Brien – who is weighing up whether to run Jan Brueghel and/or dual Derby winner Lambourn in the King George at Ascot next weekend – said of Lake Victoria in an interview with ITV Racing: “She is not back in exercise yet. She’s doing very well physically, but she’s not back in work yet.

“John (Halley, vet) will make the decision on whether she comes back into work for this year or is left alone until next year or is retired altogether. They’ll be decisions that will be made as weeks go by.”

The Ballydoyle handler also confirmed his Coral-Eclipse first and fourth Delacroix and Camille Pissarro are both being trained for next month’s Juddmonte International at York, despite bookmaker support prompting speculation the former could drop back to a mile for a clash with Field Of Gold in Goodwood’s Sussex Stakes.

Gstaad and Ryan Moore after winning at Royal Ascot
Gstaad and Ryan Moore after winning at Royal Ascot (John Walton/PA)

With the highly touted Albert Einstein “probably not” going to run going to run again this season, O’Brien’s juvenile team for the second half of the season is set to be led by Coventry Stakes winner Gstaad, who has several Group One options coming up.

O’Brien added: “Gstaad is very well, he’s come out of the Coventry very well. We’re thinking he could be a Heinz (Phoenix Stakes) horse, he could take in Deauville (Prix Morny) and he could take in the National Stakes and he could end up being a Dewhurst horse at the end.”

Racing Bulletin for 19/07/2025

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Click on course names to view our course guides. Click on race times to access that racecard. Times highlighted in yellow are free races of the day.

Curragh

Good

 13:30 14:00 14:35 15:05 15:40 16:15 16:50 17:25
Market Rasen

Good

 13:35 14:05 14:40 15:12 15:50 16:25 17:00
Cartmel

Good to Soft

 13:40 14:15 14:50 15:22 16:00 16:35 17:10
Newbury

Good to Firm

 13:50 14:25 14:57 15:30 16:10 16:45 17:20
Ripon

Good to Soft

 14:10 14:45 15:17 15:55 16:30 17:05 17:38
Newmarket

Good to Firm

 16:20 16:55 17:30 18:00 18:35 19:05 19:38
Doncaster

Good to Firm

 17:15 17:45 18:15 18:45 19:15 19:45 20:15 20:45
Haydock Park

Good

 18:25 18:55 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00

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Minnie Hauk has chance to join an illustrious roll of honour

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Epsom heroine Minnie Hauk is all the rage to provide Aidan O’Brien with an eighth victory in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks on Saturday.

Alexandrova (2006), Peeping Fawn (2007), Snowfall (2021) and Savethelastdance (2023) are among the Ballydoyle handler’s previous winners of the Curragh Classic and he is responsible for four of the six runners in this year’s renewal.

The undoubted star of the show is Minnie Hauk, who six weeks ago got the better of a thrilling Epsom Oaks duel with stablemate Whirl, a subsequent Group One winner in the Pretty Polly Stakes.

Speaking earlier this week, O’Brien said: “Minnie Hauk has been fine since Epsom, she had a little break and everything has been good since.”

The biggest threat to the odds-on favourite appears to be Joseph O’Brien’s s Wemightakedlongway, who was just over five lengths behind Minnie Hauk when fourth at Epsom and then looked a little outpaced when occupying the same finishing position in the Pretty Polly.

“We are looking forward to running Wemightakedlongway. There is some rain forecast and any rain that falls we think might help her chances,” said O’Brien junior.

Johnny Murtagh, who rode a record six Irish Oaks winners during his illustrious career in the saddle, is represented by Subsonic. The Lope De Vega filly remains a maiden after two starts, but was only half a length behind Minnie Hauk on her on her Leopardstown debut in October.

The field is completed by Fozzy Stack’s 85-rated outsider Bay Colony.

Wise Approach makes his mark in Newbury feature

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Wise Approach was much the best when sauntering to success in the Ire-Incentive – It Pays To Buy Irish Rose Bowl Stakes at Newbury.

Charlie Appleby’s Mehmas colt – who cost a million guineas as a yearling – is a half-sibling to the Group-placed Golden Mind and multiple Group One winner Perfect Power, and was last seen finishing second to Charles Darwin in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot.

That was a Group Two event and he therefore stepped down in grade to Listed level but back up in trip to six furlongs at Newbury, starting as the 11-10 favourite and registering an easy four-length victory under William Buick.

“It was a nice performance, he ran a good race at Ascot when he was on a different side of the track to the winner,” the rider told Sky Sports Racing.

“He was more comfortable back at six. I like what he did there, it was a nice smooth performance and I think he’s a horse who will get better.

“He looked a good deal better than the opposition there and he certainly deserves to have a look at those targets (the Gimcrack and the Middle Park).

“I think he will develop, he’s a scopey horse and he was very natural from early on, but I do think he’ll keep getting better.”

Powerful chance for Slattery colt in smart renewal of Sapphire Stakes

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Andy Slattery thinks Powerful Nation will take a good deal of beating as his promising three-year-old steps up in class for the Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.

The Sioux Nation colt has never finished outside of the first three in eight starts and landed a Listed race on his last outing.

“He looks ready for this, he’s very exciting and we like him, he’s a very fast horse,” said Slattery ahead of the Group Two contest.

“I’m as confident as I can be I suppose, I wouldn’t swap him for another horse in there anyway. His form stands up. He’s raced against Arizona Blaze twice and beaten him twice.

“Mgheera is a Group Two winner, but she’s got the penalty. We’ve been taking our time with him, but everything has been good with him. We won’t know if he’s ready for the next step until we do it.

“I think with a bit of luck in running we should take a good bit of beating.”

Arizona Blaze was second at Royal Ascot in the Commonwealth Cup last time out and was also second at the Breeders’ Cup last autumn.

“We’re expecting a big run. He’s a lovely horse and he never seems to run a bad race,” said trainer Adrian Murray.

“He’s been second in two Group Ones, at the Breeders’ Cup and Royal Ascot, he was third at Ascot last year, he’s won two Group Threes, he’s been a great horse for us.

“Hopefully we get get his head in front in a Group One before the season is out.

“If the winner at Ascot (Time For Sandals) had been on his side I think he might have battled back because they were so far apart he probably thought he’d won, but that’s racing.

“All ground comes alike to him, it doesn’t seem to be an issue, so hopefully he’s got a great chance.”

Only four line up in the GAIN Railway Stakes, with Aidan O’Brien responsible for Queen Mary winner True Love and Puerto Rico, Ger Lyons runs Learntodiscover and Murray sends Power Blue, fifth in the Coventry Stakes.

“Power Blue hasn’t been running badly since his debut. He’s a fair horse, he’s never disappointed,” said Murray.

“He ran a fair race in Ascot and hopefully he’ll put it up to the favourite (True Love).

“We’ve all heard what Aidan says of Albert Einstein and he didn’t beat him far in the Marble Hill so that must give us a great chance.”

A field of nine has been declared for the Michael John Kennedy Curragh Cup, with Joseph O’Brien saddling three.

Al Riffa sets the standard having been runner-up in the Hardwicke last time out, Uxmal won the Queen’s Vase last year but has not run since while Leinster has been fourth in the Chester Cup and Ascot Stakes the last twice.

“Al Riffa steps up in distance for the first time and we’re looking forward to seeing how that goes. Leinster ran well at Royal Ascot and Uxmal is having his first run off a lay off and it is nice to get him back on track,” said O’Brien.

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