More top class action in Ireland

After yesterday´s excellent card from Leopardstown, headed by the briliant victory of Snow Fairy in the Irish Champion Stakes, there is more top class racing in Ireland today, this time at the Curragh. Main feature is the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes for 2yo fillies at 17.25 CET, which looks very open with 13 runners, two of them trained in England - Orpha (Mick Channon/ William Buick), easy winner of a Ffos Las maiden and taking a huge leap in class here, and the more experienced Sky Lantern (Richard Hannon/ Richard Hughes), first or second on her four starts so far. Aidan O´Brien hads dominated this rasce in recent seasons and now dsaddlres two runners, Snow Queen, a nastrrowe CD winner last time with son Joseph in the saddle, and Magical Dream (Seamus Heffernan), but neither really looks up to Group One standard. The likely favourite is the unbeaten SendmylovetoRose (Andy Oliver/ Colm O´Donoghue), who won a Newmarket Grup Two over 6 furlongs last time, but the two runner s owned by the Aga Khan and trained by John Oxx look very dangerous; Harasiya (Pat Smullen) could be the better of them, and despite a narrow defeat over this CD last time by My Special J´s (Pat Shanahan/ Johnny Murtagh), she is the selection.

The wonderful Famous Name /Dermot Weld/ Pat Smullen) runs in the Group Three Solonaway Stakes over a mile at 16.20. The winner of 19 of his 29 starts, he is one of the most consistent horses in training, and although the ground may be faster than he likes and the distance shorter than his best,. we expect him to score his 20th win today. The 3yo Declaration of War (Aidan and Joseph O´Brien), easy winner of both his starts last ysar for Jean-Claude Rouget, is having his first race for the O´Brien´s and has been off the track for nearly a year, but could be a serious threat.
The Group Two Blandford Stakes for fillies and mares over 10 furlongs at 16.50 is another very open race. The 3yo´s look dangerous here, but we hope to see Nahrain (Roger Varian/ Neil Callan) get back on the winning trail here. Winner of the Prix de l´Opera last October, she has been well beaten on both her 2012 starts in very hot company, but is reported back to her best now.

The fourth group race here is the Round Tower Stakes over 6 furlongs for 2yo´s at 15.45. This is another open race, but Coolmore have a strong hand with Cougar Ridge (Dasvid Wachman/ Willie Lee) and George Vancouver( Aidan and Joseph O´Brien). The latter was runner-up in the Prix Morny, form which should suffice here.