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Minnie Hauk and Whirl rematch unlikely to happen this weekend

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Aidan O’Brien said it is unlikely that both Minnie Hauk and Whirl will run in Saturday’s Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh.

The two were among six O’Brien-trained fillies left in the Classic on Tuesday, with only three other stables possibly being represented.

Minnie Hauk, who got the better of a thrilling tussle with Whirl to win the Oaks at Epsom, is odds-on favourite with the bookmakers to double up this weekend.

The Frankel filly, who had won a trial at Chester prior to gaining Classic success, has been waiting for this, while Whirl has already franked the form by beating the year-older Kalpana in the Pretty Polly Stakes.

Bedtime Story, Butterfly Wings, Island Hopping and Merrily complete the Ballydoyle entry.

“They probably won’t both run, I’d imagine,” said O’Brien.

“We were thinking that Whirl and Bedtime Story might go for the Nassua Stakes at Goodwood over 10 furlongs.

“Whirl came back to a mile and a quarter last time in the Pretty Polly and she was happy over that distance.

“Minnie Hauk has been fine since Epsom, she had a little break and everything has been good since.”

Fozzy Stack’s Bay Colony, Johnny Murtagh’s Subsonic and Joseph O’Brien’s Wemightakedlongway are the other confirmations.

O’Brien also has four of the eight in the GAIN Railway Stakes, including Queen Mary winner True Love.

True Love won the Queen Mary and could take on the boys this week
True Love won the Queen Mary and could take on the boys this week (John Walton/PA)

She would be taking on the colts should she run this weekend.

“It’s very possible that she could go to the Railway,” said O’Brien.

First Approach, Flushing Meadows and Puerto Rico are his others, while Joseph O’Brien could run Green Sense.

Adrian Murray’s Power Blue and the Ger Lyons-trained Learntodoscover are also possibles.

George Baker’s Desert Cop, Mick and David Easterby’s in-form Canon’s House and Mick Appleby’s Kodi Lion are among 19 left in the Kwiff Supercharged Betting Scurry Handicap, for which Big Gossey tops the weights.

Portman hoping to make Rum point at the Curragh

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Jonathan Portman said it was not too difficult a decision to supplement Rumstar into the Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

The five-year-old has already enjoyed a successful season, winning the Palace House at the Newmarket Guineas meeting and the Coral Charge at Sandown.

With Portman keen to stick to five furlongs and not enamoured by taking him to Goodwood, he felt there was little to lose by adding him to the Group Two for €12,000.

“It wasn’t that difficult a decision in the end,” said Portman.

“We felt we’d been banging our head against the wall a bit in good company so we’d made a conscious decision not to spend Mr Ward’s (owner) money on entries – but then he goes and runs such a good race like he did at Sandown to give us a bit more faith.

“Whether it is the right thing is another matter entirely. Otherwise there’s just nowhere else to run him, as we’re very keen to keep him at five furlongs.

“He displayed a good turn of foot at Newmarket and again at Sandown. He didn’t disgrace himself at Haydock or Ascot, either.

“He’s come out of Sandown very well, I know it’s only a few weeks, but it’s all about what other options there were and they were very limited. Only the result itself will tell us if we’re being wise or not.”

There was 20 millimetres of overnight rain at the Curragh which will have been very welcome no doubt and that should not worry Rumstar.

“He won at Ascot on soft last October, but it wasn’t as soft as people say it was. He got away with it there. He’d be fine unless it got silly soft,” said Portman.

Super Sprint temptation for Johnson Houghton with Havana Hurricane

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Eve Johnson Houghton is “slightly leaning” towards the idea of running Windsor Castle winner Hurricane Havana in the Weatherbys Super Sprint Stakes at Newbury on Saturday.

The Havana Gold colt was a smart winner at the Royal meeting, and although he earns himself a 5lb penalty for that Listed success he would still run under a relative feather weight at the weekend.

He was purchased for just 9,000 guineas and as the conditions of the Super Sprint reward cheaply purchased horses, the £250,000 feature looks a tempting option and may prove more so than the Molecomb Stakes alternative also under consideration.

“We’re slightly leaning towards the Super Sprint now, but it hasn’t been confirmed,” said Johnson Houghton.

“He’s doing very well, he came out of Ascot in very good form.

“We had been discussing the Molecomb, but the Super Sprint is tempting and the prize-money is very good.

“He’ll do a bit of work tomorrow and we’ll take it from there.”

Also entered is Rod Millman and Middleham Park Racing’s Anthelia, fifth when beaten two lengths in the Listed Empress Stakes at Newmarket last month and three times a winner prior to that.

Millman said: “I thought she ran quite well at Newmarket last time and all being well the plan is to run on Saturday.

“It’s a competitive race, it always is, and a lot depends on where you’re drawn and who you’re following.

“I wouldn’t want too much rain because she’s got a very low action. We’ve got other horses entered on Saturday that want cut, but she doesn’t.

“There’s 1lb between us and Eve Johnson Houghton’s horse on handicap ratings, because we’re 94 and we’re getting 5lb him, so we’re only 1lb wrong.

“She’s been a very good horse for us so far and hopefully she can continue to be.”

Other horses prominent in the market are Karl Burke’s Ali Shuffle, Richard Hughes’ Our Cody and Richard Fahey’s Cotai Belle.

Minnie Hauk leads the way in Irish Oaks confirmations

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Minnie Hauk, who got the better of a thrilling tussle with her stable companion Whirl to win the Oaks at Epsom, will face a maximum of eight rivals when she aims to double up in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh on Saturday.

The Frankel filly, who had won a trial at Chester prior to gaining Classic success, has been waiting for this weekend while Whirl has already franked the form by beating the year-older Kalpana in the Pretty Polly Stakes.

Her trainer Aidan O’Brien has not been as dominant in the Irish Oaks as the Irish Derby, but he still holds the record for the most wins with seven, with Savethelastdance two years ago his most recent.

As ever, the main danger to the ante-post odds-on favourite could come from within Ballydoyle. Whirl has been left in, but O’Brien did suggest after she won the Pretty Polly that the big two would be kept apart.

Bedtime Story, Butterfly Wings, Island Hopping and Merrily complete the six-strong entry for the yard.

Fozzy Stack’s Bay Colony, Johnny Murtagh’s Subsonic and Joseph O’Brien’s Wemightakedlongway are the only other confirmations.

O’Brien also has four of the eight in the GAIN Railway Stakes, including Queen Mary winner True Love.

First Approach, Flushing Meadows and Puerto Rico are his others, while Joseph O’Brien could run Green Sense.

Adrian Murray’s Power Blue and the Ger Lyons-trained Learntodoscover are also possibles.

George Baker’s Desert Cop, Mick and David Easterby’s in-form Canon’s House and Mick Appleby’s Kodi Lion are among 19 left in the Kwiff Supercharged Betting Scurry Handicap, for which Big Gossey tops the weights.

Candy still sweet on big sprint prizes for evergreen Run To Freedom

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Henry Candy will target the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock and the Qipco British Champions Sprint at Ascot with Run To Freedom, after his veteran sprinter proved he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level at Newmarket on Saturday.

Although a dual winner in Listed company, the seven-year-old has run his best races in defeat, most notably filling the runner-up spot as a 150-1 shot on Champions Day in 2022 and in the the July Cup the following summer.

However, having only made it to the track once last season and failed to make a major impact on his first two starts this term, Run To Freedom was 40-1 for his second tilt at July Cup glory – but outran his odds to finish third, beaten two lengths by the surprise winner No Half Measures.

Candy said: “I thought it was a great run. He’s got it in him, he just wants thing to go right.

“He’s done that in the Champions Sprint and he’s done it in the July Cup before. You always hope he’s going to do it again, but then you look at the strength of the field he’s up against and see what price he is and think ‘oh dear, I’ve made a mistake!’.

“But he keeps delivering, hopefully he’ll grab one one day and all being well we’ll go to Haydock and then we’ll go to Ascot. We won’t go to the Prix Maurice de Gheest (at Deauville), I don’t think he’s a horse that wants running too often.

“A little bit softer ground would definitely help him.”

White Birch waiting for favoured ground in the autumn

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White Birch will miss the heat of midsummer in the hope of getting his favoured softer ground in the autumn.

Since beating Auguste Rodin in last year’s Tattersalls Gold Cup the high-class grey has been restricted to just two runs by a combination of niggling injuries and fast ground.

Although he holds an entry in the Juddmonte International at York, his aim is the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on September 13, when connections hope there is finally an ease in the ground having missed Royal Ascot and the Eclipse.

Trainer John Murphy’s son and assistant George said: “We have slowed up a little bit with him, as we’ve wanted to run but the ground hasn’t been coming our way.

“We won’t be going to the Juddmonte and will instead look to the autumn with him.

“He could have a prep run before going for the Irish Champion Stakes.

“We are very, very happy with him, but just the weather hasn’t been kind to us.”

Racing Bulletin for 15/07/2025

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Murphy speaks of ‘nightmare’ car crash and drink driving conviction

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Oisin Murphy has described his car crash and subsequent conviction for drink driving as “a nightmare for everyone involved”.

The four-times champion jockey was fined £70,000 and banned from driving for 20 months having pleaded guilty to one count of driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol after the accident in April.

Following the conclusion of those court proceedings, the British Horseracing Authority announced the immediate imposition of “an extremely strict set of conditions and monitoring requirements” on Murphy’s riding licence which “must be adhered to at all times”, although the exact details remain confidential.

Speaking at Windsor on Monday evening, Murphy told Sky Sports Racing: “It’s very important not to make that error again, it was a nightmare particularly for everyone involved, not just myself, for everyone else and the people who had to pick up the pieces, my support network. Time is a great healer but I won’t be forgetting about that mistake.

“They (the BHA) never disclose licence information, I’m not the first jockey to drink and drive or commit offences, it’s obviously more high profile because it’s me. Due to the profile I have, those incidents should never occur but the BHA have been fantastic to work with and I really appreciate what they have done to help me and I want to repay them.”

Murphy said the passenger who was involved in the crash “is really well, that’s the most important thing” and spoke about the counselling he had received both before and after the accident.

He added: “I have been (in counselling) for the last four years and obviously had very good spells due to that support network and I relied on it an awful lot since late April and before it but certainly since late April and I have got to thank those people because they have gone above and beyond when the process hasn’t been very easy.”

However, Murphy criticised the coverage his case had received, saying: “There was going to be a lot said in the media and it’s important not to allow the media to bully you too much because you can get very down, but I had horses to ride and a job to do. It’s great to be riding every day and hopefully to the same level I was able to do at Royal Ascot and in the weeks previously.

He added: “Not everyone wants one to achieve, there’s a lot of jealousy out there, particularly in the media, but I worked all my life to ride good horses and I’ll continue to do that. The only thing that can inhibit me from not progressing further in my career is myself, so that’s a realisation.”

Benvenuto Cellini makes winning mark at Killarney

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Benvenuto Cellini followed the same path as an illustrious former stablemate with victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Killarney.

His trainer Aidan O’Brien sent out subsequent Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck to land the mile contest in 2018 and Benvenuto Cellini was sent off the 2-5 favourite to add his name to the roll of honour.

Partnered by Wayne Lordan, the impeccably-bred Frankel colt came home a two-and-three-quarter-length winner over stablemate Endorsement, with connections now eyeing a step up in calibre next month after improving from his initial start.

Ballydoyle representative Chris Armstrong said: “Benvenuto Cellini had a lovely run at the Curragh and coming here, this was going to be a lovely race for him. He was very babyish at the Curragh and again today where he jumped out and led, but Wayne said he was looking at the cars on the inside.

“It looked a decent maiden and he went away and won well so that is a decent sign. He improved from the Curragh to here and will improve again from here to his next run, which could be in the Futurity Stakes. Whatever he does you’d think will be a bonus as he’ll make up into a smashing middle-distance horse for next year. He is one with a touch of class.

“You only have to look at some of the previous winners around here, and even at the horses who have finished in-behind, to see how good these maidens are and you need a stakes horse to come here. There aren’t many who win here who aren’t above average.”

Cosmic Year pencilled in for Goodwood outing

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Cosmic Year is set for a drop in grade when he makes his reappearance at Goodwood next month.

The Kingman colt impressively won the King Charles II Stakes at Newmarket before chasing home Field Of Gold in the Irish 2,000 Guineas but then disappointed in the Prix Jean Prat at Deauville.

Trainer Harry Charlton will now step him back up to a mile on the Sussex Downs in the Group Three Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes in preference to the seven-furlong HKJC World Pool Lennox Stakes.

Charlton said: “He didn’t run his race obviously (at Deauville) and we’ll hope for a better performance next time.

“(He came back) all good, no problems, all good.

“It probably won’t be the Lennox Stakes and will likely be the Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood, which is a Group Three over eight furlongs.

“The City of York Stakes is on the cards but it is all dependent on his next run.”

Charlton will bide his time with the fellow Juddmonte-owned Skimmer as he waits for cut in the ground.

The three-year-old won on his racecourse debut at Leicester before coming home a cosy winner of a Kempton novice.

The Great Voltigeur Stakes at York remains on the radar but he will only take up that route if the going eases between now and then.

Charlton said: “We wouldn’t go up there if the ground was like it is now.

“I think he’s a big horse and he’s probably not one for firm ground, so we’ll just keep an eye on the weather but we obviously know it’s not long until September and surely the weather will relent at some point.

“He’s a nice, big horse and a bit like his brother Okeechobee, he’s coming into his own middle of his three-year-old career into his four-year-old career as it were.”

Clover looking to Lonsdale Cup for Al Nayyir

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A second shot at the Lonsdale Cup could be on the cards for Al Nayyir following his recent narrow defeat at Sandown.

Tom Clover’s charge was beaten a short head by Vauban at Group Two level at York last summer and has since enjoyed a winter spell in sunnier climes, contesting the Red Sea Turf Handicap in Saudi Arabia before performing with credit in the Dubai Gold Cup.

Having finished third behind subsequent Gold Cup hero Trawlerman on his return to Britain in Sandown’s Henry II Stakes in late May, the seven-year-old returned to the Esher track for the Listed Coral Marathon earlier this month and was again denied by a short head, this time by veteran stayer Coltrane.

Clover said: “He ran super, I think maybe just as an older horse he might have found the ground a touch tight perhaps on that summer, quick ground.

“He was only beaten in a photo and I loved the way he hit the line strong, so hopefully he can win another stakes race soon.

“He could well go back to York, obviously he was a close second in it (Lonsdale Cup) last year. We’ll see how he is, but it could well be the plan at the moment.”

On Saturday Clover saddled big-race runners at Newmarket and York, with high-class sprinter Rogue Lightning far from disgraced in finishing ninth in the July Cup – beaten just over four lengths.

“He ran well, it feels like he loves being in trouble and it’s hard to find a clear passage through, but he wasn’t beaten far,” the trainer added.

“Hopefully we can work back from the Dukhan Sprint in Qatar in February, which he won this year, and hopefully he’s up to winning another stakes race soon.”

Tabletalk looked a major threat after travelling strongly in the Group Three Silver Cup at York, but his effort petered out late on and he had to make do with minor honours in third behind Al Qareem.

Clover said: “He ran well, I thought he might go and nearly win and I don’t know whether Ascot took it’s toll perhaps – maybe it came a bit soon.

“I’d like to think he’s up to winning a Group Three and that looked a good opportunity, but we might have ran him back a bit soon.

“We’ll see how he is. We’ll give him a quiet week and build him up from there.”

More thought to be given to Thunder target

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Which race – or even which trip – More Thunder runs over next has still to be decided following his last-gasp win in the Bunbury Cup on Saturday.

The four-year-old, who  moved to William Haggas following the retirement of Sir Michael Stoute, has found a new niche for himself sprinting this season.

Narrowly denied in the Wokingham, Tom Marquand got there on the line on Saturday and he holds of host of entries throughout the summer.

“Tom got there just in time and I have to say I don’t think he’d have won if he hadn’t changed sides, it made a difference,” said owner Saeed Suhail’s racing manager Bruce Raymond.

More Thunder (left) just gets the better of Aalto
More Thunder (left) just gets the better of Aalto (Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

“Of course we were very happy and now we need to decide what the best next step will be.

“We’re all guessing about what his best trip will be. His owner told me he felt he’d have won the July Cup! I’m not so sure as it doesn’t work out like that. I just feel seven furlongs might be his trip but that might be the easier route.

“I’ve had a word with Tom who feels six might be best for him. You can guarantee if we run over six next and he gets beat everyone will say ‘why didn’t you run him over seven?’.

“He’s in all the right races and handicaps are out now – I just don’t know where we’ll run him.”

On the same afternoon another former Stoute inmate, Andrew Balding’s Never So Brave, took the step up to Group company in his stride at Ascot in the Summer Mile but his next step is also undecided.

“Never So Brave has taken that next step already but when Jamie (Spencer on Point Lynas) looked like he’d slipped the field, it was an awful feeling,” said Raymond.

“I thought David (Probert) was absolutely brilliant on him not to panic though. It’s about 100 years since I was riding and I remember that feeling but when I spoke to him, he said turning in he felt he had everything covered so he was confident.

“He’s another who’s versatile trip-wise and who is to say he wouldn’t get further in time, although there’s no need to try it yet. I think he’ll get a mile and a quarter but thee’s no need to rush it.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do. He’s not in the Sussex but he is in the Lennox back over seven, so we’ll see.

“It was a good weekend, they’ve both come out of it well and now we need to start thinking about where they are going to go. The owner is a very patient man, he’s been well educated by Sir Michael.”

Pontefract repeat could be next on Point Lynas’ agenda

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Ed Bethell is considering several big-race options with Point Lynas following his gallant front-running performance in Saturday’s Summer Mile at Ascot.

The six-year-old was a 22-1 shot for what looked a strong renewal of the Berkshire circuit’s Group Two highlight, but very nearly pulled off a surprise victory under an enterprising ride by Jamie Spencer.

Point Lynas was eventually run down by Never So Brave, but stuck to his task to pick up the silver medal in second, beaten just three-quarters of a length.

Bethell said: “I was really, really happy. It was an inspired Jamie Spencer ride and the horse ran his heart out, showing he’s still full of life as he’s getting older.

“He split two Royal Ascot winners and two proper racehorses (Never So Brave and Haatem). I appreciate we slipped the field, but you don’t do what he does and only be beaten three-quarters of a length if you’re not in good form, so it was a brilliant run.”

Considering future plans, the trainer added: “We’ll have a look at the Listed race he won at Pontefract last year (Pomfret Stakes) in a couple of weeks’ time I would imagine and then we’ll probably look towards the Celebration Mile at Goodwood or maybe the Strensall Stakes at York.”

Appleby eyeing Goodwood goal for Big Mojo

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Big Mojo will “more than likely” head to Goodwood next for the King George Qatar Stakes following his near miss in the July Cup.

Mick Appleby’s stable star bounced right back to his best at the weekend when he was just run out of it close home by 66-1 outsider No Half Measures.

Big Mojo is now likely to revert to five furlongs at a track he won the Molecomb Stakes at last year before he heads to York for the Nunthorpe.

“He’s come out of the race well. We were gutted but chuffed with how he ran, he ran an absolute blinder,” said Appleby.

“Tom (Marquand) thought he had everything covered, he just wasn’t expecting that one to come from out there!

“He’s shown he’s back to his best and I think he saw the trip out, he just didn’t see that one coming, when he did he tried to fight back and given a few more strides I think he’d have probably got back up.

“She wasn’t pulling away from him and I just think he was caught a bit by surprise.

“I think it will more than likely be Goodwood next. There is a possibility of the Maurice de Gheest (at Deauville) but I think it’s more likely we’ll go to Goodwood and then on to York.

“You’d like to think he’d be hard to beat at Goodwood, he’s won there before.”

The Lion In Winter heading back to France for Prix Jacques le Marois

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The Lion In Winter will return to France for his next outing when he will step back up in trip for the Prix Jacques le Marois at Deauville.

Winter favourite for the Guineas and Derby, a setback in the spring held up his preparations for the Classics and he missed Newmarket, making his comeback in the Dante at York when he could only finish sixth before trailing home well beaten in the Derby.

Dropped markedly in trip to seven furlongs for the Prix Jean Prat, Aidan O’Brien’s charge showed plenty of his old sparkle, beaten just a short neck and a short head into third by Woodshauna.

Speaking at Navan on Sunday, stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “It was lovely to get him back on track after all the promise he showed last year.

“He has come out of the race (at Deauville) very well, and everyone is happy with him at home.

“He is going to go to the Jacques le Marois next in Deauville. Obviously, it is going to be a fascinating race during the summer.

“In fairness, the horse adapted coming right back from a mile and a half to seven (furlongs) last week pretty quickly.

“Back up to a mile in the Jacques le Marois should suit him.”

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