This weekend, Newbury tops the domestic bill, with a seven-race card headlined by the distinctive Weatherbys Super Sprint. With the Listed Steventon Stakes and Group 3 Hackwood Stakes featuring prominently on the undercard, Newbury’s midsummer meeting has much to recommend it. However, in terms of class alone, it lies in the shadow of the excellent Irish Oaks Weekend at the Curragh.
Kicking off on Saturday afternoon, the two-day fixture crams in six contests rated at Group 3 level or above – including four on an outstanding opening day.
Railway Stakes – Rivals Running Away from Love
A four-runner field is a disappointing turnout for a race offering €120,000 in prize money and represents the smallest turnout in the past 10 years. Part of the reason for those low numbers may be the presence of market leader True Love, who represents 14-time Railway Stakes winning trainer Aidan O’Brien.
Having filled the runners-up position on each of her first two outings, this daughter of No Nay Never broke her duck in style at Royal Ascot. Too good for her twenty-two rivals in that Queen Mary Stakes contest, she tops the field on ratings and receives three pounds as the only filly in the lineup.
Given her form and edge at the weights, True Love is no bigger than 4/6 to prevail. However, the three colts who will take her on all have something to recommend them. Learntodiscover and Puerto Rico were separated by only a neck over course and distance last time, and Power Blue ran a mighty race when fifth in the Coventry Stakes on his most recent appearance.
Sapphire Stakes – Britain’s Best Chance
The 2025 Irish Oaks Weekend features fewer British runners than is often the case. However, the market suggests the raiding party holds the aces in this five-furlong Group 2 affair.
Flying filly Mgheera has spent the bulk of her career in France but joined Ed Walker’s Upper Lambourn yard in April of this year. On the early evidence, the five-year-old seems to enjoy the Berkshire air. Too good for her rivals on her yard debut at Longchamp, she followed up in the Temple Stakes at Haydock. Well fancied for the King Charles III Stakes on the back of those efforts, a spread plate saw her withdrawn before the start. If she avoids such mishaps this time, she looks primed to go well under Ryan Moore.
If Mgheera fails to deliver, Britain has a strong second string in the shape of the Jonathan Portman-trained Rumstar. He finished behind Mgheera at Haydock but looked better than ever when landing the Coral Charge at Sandown earlier in the month.
Irish Oaks – Minnie at the Double
Ralph Beckett claimed the 2024 Irish Oaks for Britain with You Got To Me, but this year’s edition is an all-Irish affair, with four of the seven runners coming from Aidan O’Brien’s yard. Included in that number is the overwhelming favourite, Minnie Hauk, who bids to become the 16th filly to complete the English/Irish Oaks double.
With odds no bigger than 1/4 in the days preceding the race, the mount of Ryan Moore is on course to become the shortest price favourite in the 21st Century. On form, those skinny odds look entirely justified. Stablemates Merrily, Island Hopping, and Butterfly Wings all finished unplaced last time out; Bay Colony has 22 pounds to find on official figures; Subsonic has yet to win a race of any description, and Wemightakedlong way finished over five lengths adrift of the winner at Epsom.
Curragh Cup – Is Up-In-Trip Al Riffa Up To The Task?
Nine runners are set to line up in the big event for the stayers – six of whom hail from the yard of Aidan or Joseph O’Brien. Responsible for 10 of the past 12 winners between them, that record looks set to improve further in 2025.
Shackleton failed to land a blow in the Irish Derby last time out but boasts solid claims on his second-place finish over this trip in the Queen’s Vase. With Ryan Moore in the saddle, he looks the pick of the six Aidan O’Brien runners.
Joseph O’Brien saddles only three but may hold the ace in the pack in the shape of Al Riffa. A Group 1 winner in the National Stakes and Grosser Preis von Berlin, he stayed on well for second behind Rebel’s Romance in the Hardwicke Stakes last time out. He’s the class act in the field but has the stamina to prove as he moves beyond 1m4f for the first time.