Racing at the Curragh on Sunday, September 13th.
A total of 41 horses have been entered for the €200,000 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes which has doubled in value and will be run as a Group 2 for the first time on the second day of Longines Irish Champions Weekend at the Curragh on Sunday, September 13th.
There are 25 horses entered from Britain, including the William Muir-trained Stepper Point who was successful in the race last year and recently returned to the Curragh to win the Group 2 Invincible Spirit Sapphire Stakes. Mecca’s Angel ran second in that race and she has been entered by trainer Michael Dodds along with seven of the first eight horses home in the Group 1 King´s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot, headed by the winner Goldream, trained by Robert Cowell.
Edward Lynam’s multiple Group 1 winner Sole Power finished fifth in the King´s Stand Stakes and fourth in the Group 1 Darley July Cup and he heads the home challenge along with Tom Hogan’s Gordon Lord Byron and Maarek, trained by Evanna McCutcheon. Lynam has also entered Anthem Alexander and another leading Irish hope looks to be the Michael Halford-trained Toscanini.
Of the 37 entries for the €200,000 Group 2 Moyglare “Jewels” Blandford Stakes, 15 are trained in Britain, headed by last season’s Group 1 winner Ribbons, trained by James Fanshawe. Lucy Wadham’s Lady Tiana was the winner of the Group 2 bet365 Lancashire Oaks Haydock last month while John Gosden’s French Dressing, unbeaten in two starts, and Martin Meade’s Irish Rookie are just two others to note. From France, Alain de Royer-Dupré has entered Kataniya who was a Group 3 winner at Chantilly in May.
There is a strong Irish challenge for the ten furlong event headed by Aidan O’Brien’s Group 1 winners Found, Together Forever and Tapestry while David Wachman’s Curvy, the winner of the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot and third in the Darley Irish Oaks, would be another leading contender. Dermot Weld won the race last year with Tarfasha and he has entered Stakes winners Brooch and Carla Bianca.
The €200,000 Group 2 Clipper Logistics Boomerang Stakes has attracted an entry of 31 horses, including 16 trained in Britain. Aidan O’Brien has put his dual Guineas winner Gleneagles in the race and he has also entered Found, the highest rated Irish juvenile of 2014. Tom Hogan has also given his star Gordon Lord Byron an entry while Ger Lyons and Kevin Prendergast could be represented by Convergence and Mohaayed respectively.
The British team includes the Roger Varian-trained Belardo, the highest rated two-year-old in Europe last year, Clive Cox’s Kodi Bear, Hugo Palmer’s Home Of The Brave and David O’Meara’s Custom Cut. Recent winning form is represented by Brian Ellison’s Baraweez who won the €100,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF ´Ahonoora´ Handicap at the Galway festival and was the winner of the €150,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF ‘Sovereign Path’ Handicap at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend last year.
There are 30 horses entered for the €100,000 Group 3 KPMG Enterprise Stakes, with Irish trainers looking to hold the strongest hand. Dermot Weld won the race last year with Free Eagle and he has put eight horses in the 12 furlong event, headed by Fascinating Rock and Carla Bianca. Of Aidan O’Brien’s nine entries, Bondi Beach and Fields Of Athenry stand out while Ken Condon has entered his stable star Success Days who was the winner of the Group 3 P. W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes and the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial Stakes at the course earlier in the season. The John Gosden-trained Romsdal was third in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot and he looks best of the five-strong British challenge for the race which is being run over 12 furlongs for the first time this year.
