The Curragh The Focus On Friday

[Wandering Eyes]

The Curragh stages three pattern races on Friday, with the G3 Flame of Tara Irish EBF S. kicking off the major action. Aidan O’Brien saddles the July 25 G3 Silver Flash S. third So Wonderful (War Front) against some unexposed types including Jon Kelly’s June 6 Leopardstown maiden and July 4 Tipperary conditions scorer Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}). She beat Ballydoyle’s Royal County Down (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) over an extended seven furlongs on the latter occasion and Jessica Harrington is confident that the mile trip is tailor-made. “She’s won her two races and this was the obvious next step,” she said. “She’s stepping up to a mile and she seemed to stay well over seven and a half furlongs in Tipperary, so hopefully that will suit her.”

Newtown Anner Stud Farm’s Ger Lyons-trained impressive Aug. 5 Naas maiden winner Auxilia (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) is another fascinating contender for the Flame of Tara alongside Mark Dobbin’s Brook On Fifth (Ire) (Champs Elysees {GB}), a Joseph O’Brien trainee who took a seven-furlong maiden on debut here on Aug. 16. More 2-year-old action comes by way of the G3 Round Tower S., where ‘TDN Rising Star’ Lope Y Fernandez (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) drops to six furlongs for the first time having run second and third behind Pinatubo (Ire) (Shamardal) in the June 22 Listed Chesham S. at Royal Ascot and July 30 G2 Vintage S. at Goodwood.

In a fascinating encounter for the Round Tower, Qatar Racing’s June 18 G2 Coventry S. third Guildsman (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Middleham Park Racing’s unbeaten Ventura Lightning (Fr) (No Nay Never) represent a British presence. The most expensive horse purchased by the syndicate, the latter is an Arqana Breeze-Up graduate who comes in off wins at Thirsk July 26 and Ripon Aug. 17. Middleham Park’s racing manager Tim Palin said, “The reason we bought him is because he did what we thought was an exceptional breeze. He’s done nothing wrong so far. He took a while to settle at home, as many of these breeze-up horses do, but his work has been good and he did well to win at Thirsk and won well in the Hornblower at Ripon. He might need to step up to seven furlongs and that could catch him out at The Curragh, but we’ll see. We think he’s a listed or group horse, which is why he’s entered in the [G1] Middle Park [at Newmarket Sept. 28].”

Also on the card is the G3 Snow Fairy Fillies’ S., in which ‘TDN Rising Star’ Goddess (Camelot {GB}) bids to build on her win in Gowran Park’s Listed Hurry Harriet S. over an extended nine furlongs Aug. 14. Among her rivals are two unknown quantities from the Jim Bolger and Dermot Weld stables in Solage (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Mia Maria (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) respectively. The former, a €1-million Arqana December purchase who represents Ballylinch Stud and Ecurie des Charmes has not been seen since winning her maiden impressively at Gowran Apr. 9, while Moyglare Stud’s homebred Mia Maria opened her account over a mile at this venue last time July 20.

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