Bracelet Shines At The Curragh – Weekend Review

Let’s take a look back at the weekend’s racing action to single out the best performances and look ahead to future runs.

Irish Oaks

The two-day Irish Oaks Meeting lived up to expectations at the weekend, with the showpiece event itself providing a thrilling 1-2 finish for Ballydoyle where Bracelet emerged narrowly in front of Tapestry.

The former showed plenty of resolution at the line and may head for a race like the Yorkshire Oaks next month, where another clash with Tapestry is possible, though the latter was held up late to get this trip and may be better off over 1m2f.

It was the absence of Epsom Oaks winner, Taghrooda, from Saturday’s Oaks, which caught punters’ eyes, however, as the decision to avoid the Irish Oaks for this weekend’s King George VI at Ascot on Saturday was deemed as a positive.

Indeed, Taghrooda is now around the 9/4 to win on Saturday, in a race where she will not only need to beat Sir Michael Stoute’s, Telescope (7/4), but will also have to defy history in becoming the first 3yo filly win the King George in almost 40 years.

O’Brien Treble

The Irish Oaks also formed part of an Aidan O’Brien treble at the Curragh,

including a triumph in the Anglesey Stakes for the 2yo colt, Dick Whittington, who gained compensation for a flop at Royal Ascot last month.

The reason for Dick Whittington’s loss at Ascot was simply put down to him not staying the 7f, and the speed he showed in winning at the weekend suggests he could be a player for the Phoenix Stakes back at the Curragh later in the season. As for next 2,000 Guineas next year, the speed he has shown make his 50/1 odds seem realistic.

Newbury

Meanwhile over at Newbury, Richard Hannon’s, Tiggy Wiggy, did extremely well to win the valuable Super Sprint by 6l considering the weight she conceded to remaining 23 runners.

Not many winners of this race manage to make all the running, and the speed displayed could make her interesting in next month’s Nunthorpe Sakes at York where she will be at the other end of the weight scale in enjoying an allowance as a juvenile.

Also at Newbury was the Group 3 Hackwood Stakes over 6f won by Music Master, who may also head for the Nunthorpe next, though one further back in sixth who caught the eye was Rocky Ground.

Roger Varian’s 4yo impressed in winning a Listed event in June, prior to a creditable sixth in the Wokingham at Royal Ascot under a heavy weight. Drawn on the stands’ side away from the main action at Newbury on Saturday, Rocky Ground did well to finish sixth (of 12) and could have a Group 3 or Group 2 sprint in him.

Let’s not forget about John Gosden’s, Western Hymn, however, who lost his unbeaten record when sixth in the Epsom Derby last month last month, but bounced back in spectacular fashion to land a Group 2 in France (1m2f) on Sunday.

More patient tactics were used to effect by William Buick as the pair stormed through to win by a very comfortable 3l – a result that saw Western Hymn’s price for September’s St Leger contract into 12/1. Considering Gosden won the St Leger thee times during the last seven years, Western Hymn could be one to consider at this stage.