There’s an eight-race bonanza coming your way for Darley Irish Oaks day, and we kick off with a seven furlong maiden at 3.10pm.
Joseph O’Brien has had a good run of things in the last three weeks with a whopping 14 winners. In this one, his Medal Of Honour will be a very popular choice here after a couple of sound efforts. I must admit, I am hoping Jim Bolger is going to upset the favourite with his newcomer Change Of Velocity. This horse is owned by the sponsors and JSB will look very clever were he to win it.
In the 3.45 handicap, I love a repeat offender and Have A Nice Day has won two of the last runnings of the 7f handicap. He ran really well last time, but was stopped at a crucial stage. That being said, Severus really does set the standard and is a worth favourite.
Race over to PaddyPower.com for the latest oddsThe 4.20pm Scurry Handicap is full of familiar names and faces, with a few British trainers represented. The UK-based horses have done well in these big handicaps lately but I fancy a home player to win.
Celebration ran a really good race in the Rockingham last time over five furlongs and this extra furlong now looks like it could be made for him. Pat Smullen is an eye catching booking for Normandy Barriere and you’d imagine that will be thereabouts too.
The Group 3 Anglesey Stakes at 4.50 is a chance for Brother Bear to get back on the winning trail. He wandered about a bit late on in the Coventry, which didn’t help his cause, but I was really taken with him when I saw him win the Marble Hill at the Curragh on Guineas day.
The 5.20 Sapphire Stakes is a group two for sprinters over the minimum trip and I believe Marsha should get back on the winning track here. She ran a really good race in the King Stand at Royal Ascot, not to mention her form is really strong over this trip.
She will certainly take some stopping.
Now, onto The Darley Irish Oaks and there are some real quality fillies in here, a Royal Ascot winner in Coronet who captured the Ribblesdale and then you’ve got Enable who was a good winner of the Epsom Oaks.
Enable sets a very high standard here and, to be honest, more than deserves to be a short price. I’d say the best bet for me is Coronet to be placed. I think she will love the Curragh, the track will suit her much better than Epsom and will allow her to get a lot closer to Enable.
The Boodles Ladies Day Handicap at 6.30 is a real chance for Kate Harrington to ride a winner at the Curragh. Breathe Easy that she rides regularly has won five times on the flat including a win here over a mile. He stays really well and is a good traveller as shown by a good second at the track last time.
Look out for Ger Lyons’ daughter though, who has already won on Sandstorming at Bellewstown.
Finally, the last is an ordinary maiden at 7pm, but Air Supremacy holds ringside support on running here on the 30th June. However, Kevin Manning wasn’t hard on the son of Teofilio which leads me to think there is better to come from this horse, he was quietly fancied last time and I think he can win here to send us all home happy.