Ireland today

Today is a bank holiday in Britain and Ireland with plenty of racing, but easily the best sport is to be found at the Curragh, where there are two group races. The Mooresbridge Stakes over 10 furlongs at 17.25 CET has been won for the past two years by Fame and Glory and So You Think, and their trainer Aidan O´Brien obviously intends to win the race again as he has 3 runners, of whom Robin Hood (Seamus Heffernan) and Windsor Palace (Colm O´Donoghue) ar presumably in the field to act as pacemaker for the likely odds-on favourite St. Nicholas Abbey, who will be partnered by son Joseph. Although it woud be unwise to ignore the O´Brien pacemakers after yesterday´s 1,000 Guineas, we would be flabbergasted if either of them beat St. Nicholas Abbey, who won the Breeders Cup Turf last autumn and was an excellent runner-up to Cirrus des Aigles last time in Dubai.

Those pieces of form makes him almost unbeatable here, but we shall still go against him with Sharestan (John Oxx/ Johnny Murtagh). The lightly-raced Aga Khan 4yo was most unlucky to lose last time to Famous Name and looks to have the potential for a great deal of improvement. The Aga Khan, Oxx and Murtagh can also take the listed race for 3yo´s at 15.50 with the very promising Takar, who has Triumphant (Aidan and Joseph O´Brien) to beat. The O´Brien´s also have a fancied candidate in the Group Three Athasi Stakes over 7 furlongs at 16.20; this is a very weak race, but our preference is for An Ghalanta (Jim Bolger/ Kevin Manning) who ran badly on her seasonal debut but had plenty of decent form last year.

The only jumps racing today takes place in Down Royal, where the hurdle race over 2 3/4 miles at 16.05 is the most interesting event. Terminal (Willie Mullins/ Ruby Walsh), who got bogged down in the mud at Punchestown last time, is our selection.