100th European Classic Win Beckons for Aidan O'Brien in Sunday's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby

100th European Classic win beckons for Aidan O'Brien in Sunday's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby

Auguste Rodin, Sprewell and White Birch head the nine contenders for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh on Sunday. 

The trio finished first, third and fourth for trainers Aidan O'Brien, Jessica Harrington and John Murphy respectively in the Epsom Derby earlier this month and will clash again in the first Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby to be run on a Sunday since 2011. Sunday’s card is a Tote World Pool event for the first time, ensuring extensive international coverage for the race. 

Should Auguste Rodin be successful, not only would he give Ryan Moore a first Irish Derby win, but he would also be a 100th European Classic winner for Aidan O'Brien. The Ballydoyle maestro runs five in the race in total with likely outsiders Adelaide River, Covent Garden, Peking Opera and San Antonio set to take their chance. 

Also heading for the €1.25m showpiece are Joseph O'Brien's Leopardstown Derby Trial second Up And Under and the Donnacha O'Brien-trained Proud And Regal.  

Sunday's card kicks off with the Group 2 GAIN Railway Stakes and the nine-runner field is headed by Aidan O'Brien’s course winner His Majesty. Fourth in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, he will be joined in the race by stable companions, previous Curragh winners Democracy and Unquestionable. Adrian Murray runs his Coventry Stakes third Bucanero Fuerte, another with winning Curragh form to his name, while supplementary entry Supersonic Man goes for Jessica Harrington with the maiden I Am Invictus no forlorn hope for trainer Michael O'Callaghan. 

The first of two Listed races is the Jebel Ali Racecourse & Stables Dash Stakes, for which 11 horses have been declared, with Michael Dods’ nine-time winner Commanche Falls a leading contender along with Pat Foley’s hat-trick seeker Tango Flare and the three-year-old Wodao, trained by Donnacha O'Brien. Local hopes Tarawa, trained by Dermot Weld and the Michael Halford & Tracey Collins-trained Cosmic Vega, along with the Joe Murphy-trained Lord Massusus and Aidan O'Brien’s Salt Lake City look to be the big players in the 12-runner Listed Dubai Duty Free Celebration Stakes. 

The first of four handicaps on the card is the Dubai Duty Free Rockingham Handicap and among the 19 runners are last year’s runner-up Big Gossey, trained by Charles O'Brien, and Sheikh Maz Mahood for trainer Declan Carroll who won the race in 2013 with Whozthecat. The Dubai Duty Free Derby Festival Handicap features recent winners Rahmi and Farnborough, and the hat-trick seeking Chazzesmee in a field of 23 hopefuls. 

Restricted to fillies and mares, the Dubai Duty Free Summer Handicap has a field of 11 runners including Eoghan O’Neill’s No Niki No, the Andy Slattery-trained Independent Expert and the Gavin Cromwell-trained Transcendental. The final race of the three-day festival is the Dubai Duty Free Irish EBF Ragusa Handicap and among the 18 runners are the Paul Flynn-trained Timourid which steps back up in distance after winning over 10 furlongs at the Curragh on Guineas weekend, the James Barrett-trained Dame Rapide and Emmet Mullins’ Teed Up.  

Click here to see the declarations for Sunday’s card at the Curragh 

Ground
Following a dry day yesterday and 3mm of rain overnight, the ground remains good.
We will continue to monitor rainfall regarding selective watering over the weekend.
 
Forecast
Today will remain overcast with light rain, further 2mm approximately, clearing this evening and tonight. Turning dry in westerly breeze on Saturday and Sunday.
 
Track
Racing on stand side with stalls in centre for all sprints
 
Gates Open/Race Times
Friday                 3.30pm                 1^st race 5pm                        last race 8.25pm
Saturday            11.30pm               1^st race 1.40pm                 last race 5.40pm
Sunday               11pm                     1^st race 1.50pm                 last race 6pm
 
Friday
                Adult Admission               €20
                Seniors & Under25          €15
                Under 18s free accompanied by an adult
Saturday
                Adult Admission               €25
                Seniors & Under 25s       €15
                Under 18s free accompanied by an adult
Sunday
Adult Admission               €40
                Seniors & Under 25         €25
                Under 18s free accompanied by an adult
 
Special offers if booked in advance.
 
Curragh Bundles (purchase in advance) offer amazing value and include admission, racecard, €10 food voucher and €5 Tote bet.
 
Friday €28           Saturday €33                      Sunday €48
 
Getting to the races
The Curragh offer a FREE shuttle bus service from Newbridge, picking up at the train station and outside Eddie Rockets in the Main Street and from Kildare, picking up at the train station and in the Square at the bus stop and also in Naas at Poplar Square
Expressway offer a direct bus return service from Dublin to The Curragh on Saturday and Sunday only – collecting at Busaras and  Red Cow (Luas). To reserve your place see expressway.ie. 
For further information, call the Curragh team on 045 441205, email info@curragh.ie
 
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