The second day of the Irish Champions Festival switches to the Curragh on Sunday and we have picked out three selections for the top-quality card.
It’s day two of the Irish Champions Festival on Sunday and the action moves to the Curragh where there are a whopping four Group 1 races on the card.
They are the Moyglare Stud Stakes, the Matron Stakes, the Flying Five Stakes and the Irish St Leger, while there are two Premier Handicaps bookending the action that runs from 13:30-17:35. Our tips for Sunday’s racing at the Curragh are below.
Selections
NAP: Gstaad (Curragh 15:50) @ 1/1
Next Best: Red Letter (Curragh 17:00) @ 2/1
Long Shot: Tony Montana (Curragh 17:35) @ SP
NAP: Gstaad (Curragh 15:50) @ 1/1
GSTAAD lost his perfect record in France last month but he surrendered little else in trying to concede 3lb to the unbeaten filly Venetian Sun (goes in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes earlier on this card).
It was a cracking battle between the pair in the Prix Morny and while the filly held on, this Starspangledbanner colt was really starting to motor inside the final half-furlong and he now looks tailor-made for the step up to seven furlongs.
His trainer has won this race a dozen times, most recently with Henry Longfellow in 2023, and Christophe Soumillon’s partner can bag another Ballydoyle success in the National Stakes.
Next Best: Red Letter (Curragh 17:00) @ 2/1
Down a level here for the Moyglare ‘Jewels’ Blandford Stakes, a Fillies’ & Mares’ Group 2 over a mile-and-a-quarter.
RED LETTER is a filly that could soon be headed back toward elite company.
Colin Keane is chasing Dylan Browne McMonagle in the race for the championship, with the six-time champion under pressure to hold onto his jockeys’ title.
Keane may get a nudge in the right direction from his old boss Ger Lyons in the silks of his current paymasters Juddmonte.
Smart last year, this Frankel filly ran well in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May and was then second in Listed company at Navan soon after.
She’s 2-2 since after successes at Killarney (Listed) and here in a Group 3 and the way she powered home last time offers plenty optimism she’ll relish this longer trip.
Long Shot: Tony Montana (Curragh 17:35) @ SP
The Irish Stallion Farms EBF Northfields Handicap rounds off proceedings, a mile-and-a-quarter awaiting the 23-strong field.
Crown Of Oaks, Lady In Paris and Sujet are likely sorts but perhaps UK raider TONY MONTANA can go well for Michael Bell in the Amo Racing colours.
The Kingman gelding is without a win since Windsor in May last year, where he scored over this trip off a mark of 91 in Class 3 company.
He’s raced almost exclusively in valuable handicaps in Britain since and has gone close at Goodwood and York this season on decent ground, though he also handles some give underfoot.
Things didn’t go ideally for him at York last time and he wasn’t beaten all that far behind progressive winner Dain Ma Nut In.
He’s rated 2lb lower now and the Bell stable are in excellent form of late, with a 28 per-cent strike-rate heading into this weekend’s action. With five places to aim for, Tony Montana is worth a chance at a big price.
