Irish Champions Weekend has already been one to recollect, not simply due to the horses, however purely due to Jerry Hannon’s commentary for the Group 1 Irish Champions Stakes.
What does Jerry Hannon truly say right here? 😂
Pure, unadulterated ardour from the maestro pic.twitter.com/q4YtK5F11m
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 9, 2023
All jokes apart, yesterday was an gratifying watch from put up to pillar and for The High Three readers, we have been a head away from touchdown an 8/1 winner within the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes.
Starlust strikes on his first begin at Group stage and continues a effective spell for @RalphBeckett within the @unibet Zero% Mission Sirenia Stakes 🥇 pic.twitter.com/1FuVvjFsYs
— Kempton Park Racecourse (@kemptonparkrace) September 9, 2023
Alas, it wasn’t to be and with Gallant Lion’s slight disappointment at Ascot alongside City Sprawl’s tame effort within the final at Leopardstown, we’re trying to find a winner at this time.
So, with some sensible races forward of us, let’s start.
2:25 Curragh – Insinuendo @ 10/1 with William Hill – 1pt EW
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The primary Group race of the day is the Blandford Stakes and again for an additional chunk on the cherry is Insinuendo having run into Above The Curve – a future four-time Group 1-placed mare for Aidan O’Brien – in final 12 months’s renewal.
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The six-year-old by Gleneagles has been the steady star for Willie McCreery for a number of years and during the last 12 months, she has taken connections to Champions Day at Ascot and in addition to the Bahrain Worldwide Trophy.
Regardless of her age in a contest that features eight three-year-olds, which means she is going to give away six kilos to them, she is the one with one of the best kind within the guide.
Firstly, she gave 5 kilos away to Luxembourg – a future Group 1 Irish Champions Stakes winner – in final 12 months’s Group 3 Royal Whip when solely overwhelmed by a neck.
🏆Royal Whip Stakes (G3)
2010m, 55.000 EUR, for 3yo+
🇮🇪Curragh
Luxembourg (IRE)
(3C Camelot – Apparel, by Danehill Dancer)
J : Ryan Moore
T :A.P. O’Brien
O :Westerberg, Mrs John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith
B : B V Sangsterpic.twitter.com/8DBAKHOXJH
— 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙𝙍𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 (@WorldRacing1) August 13, 2022
Two months later, she rocked up at 80/1 within the Group 1 British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes and put in a outstanding effort on a barely unfavourable good-to-soft floor to complete third to Emily Upjohn.
Following a median run within the Bahrain Worldwide Trophy, she started this season with a snug success over a mile on soft-to-heavy floor on the Curragh; contemplating her finest kind is over 10 furlongs on good floor, this run might be marked up.
An ideal begin to the season for Insinuendo!
Willie McCreery’s elegant performer lands the Lodge Park Stud Irish EBF Park Categorical Stakes on her return to motion on the @curraghrace and look set for loftier targets now 🏆@wjlee24786 | @LodgeParkStud | @IrishEBF_ pic.twitter.com/vEKfDjZIit
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 25, 2023
With two victories on the course and a few good efforts in defeat over course and distance, Insinuendo appears to be a cracking each-way guess within the Blandford Stakes and due to her two-month break from the observe, she needs to be recent and able to go.
3:25 Curragh – Porta Fortuna @ 13/2 Normal – 1pt EW
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This 12 months’s Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes is an enchanting contest with 9 runners set to move underneath the starter’s orders.
As with juvenile races right now of the 12 months, lots in right here may unleash potential potential that they’ve but to totally present, nevertheless, with out understanding what is going to occur for certain, Porta Fortuna is the strong choice at 15/2.
Skilled by Donnacha O’Brien, she has the unenviable job of taking up his dad’s Ylang Ylang on the head of the market in addition to Willie McCreery’s Vespertillo who was second to at this time’s even-money favorite earlier than her success within the Group 2 Debutante Stakes final month.
Ylang Ylang makes all to style Group-race glory at @LeopardstownRC for crew @Ballydoyle
🏇 Two runs
🥇 Two wins
🏆 G3 Jockey Membership of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes
💷 1.5 million guineas buy pic.twitter.com/VYaGkg6Ue2
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 27, 2023
That being mentioned, Porta Fortuna is certainly the shape horse of the competition due to her second to Bucanero Fuerte within the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes final trip, a efficiency that may be marked up as she raced predominantly on the close to facet which was barely unfavourable all through the day.
Previous to that run, she was despatched off a well-backed 5/1 for the Group 3 Albany Stakes and gained impressively underneath Frankie Dettori – who will get the leg up at this time – and the type of that race has been boosted due to Matrika’s Group 2 win on her subsequent begin.
80 #RoyalAscot wins for @FrankieDettori!
Porta Fortuna wins the Albany for Donnacha O’Brien! @Ascot pic.twitter.com/UxjQRcHEaH
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) June 23, 2023
Moreover, out of the Holy Roman Emperor mare Too Treasured, a winner over 1m4f, at this time’s seven-furlong journey appears a step in the suitable course and despite the fact that her sire is the sensible sprinter Caravaggio, he has had extra runners and winners between seven and 9 furlongs than within the sprinting distances since his first crop hit the observe in 2021.
In fact, the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes appears like a tricky race to win, however the kind horse is Porta Fortuna and he or she is an enormous value at 13/2.
4:00 Curragh – Bucanero Fuerte @ 4/1 with William Hill – 2pt Win
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The Group 1 Vincent O’Brien Nationwide Stakes is my race of the weekend primarily based on pure pleasure ranges because the potential conflict of Metropolis Of Troy, Bucanero Fuerte, and Henry Longfellow is mouthwatering.
Though the Aidan O’Brien-trained first-string is a well-fancied favorite, I’m prepared to go towards the Ballydoyle pair with Bucanero Fuerte.
Though Metropolis Of Troy’s efficiency to beat Haatem by six lengths within the Group 2 Superlative Stakes was visually spectacular, I feel that the type of the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes victory is healthier and Adrian Murray’s Wootton Bassett colt he made all on his facet of the observe – regardless of the tried implementation of a pacemaker with stablemate Launch – was no small feat.
🏆BUCANERO FUERTE 🏆
Railway Stakes winner Bucanero Fuerte extends his good file @curraghrace by powering his strategy to Group 1 glory within the @keeneland Phoenix Stakes.
What a second for Kevin Stott, @amoracingltd and @AMurrayRacing 👏 pic.twitter.com/YgmcBQwYBM
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 12, 2023
Fortunately for connections, proprietor and stablemate Cuban Thunder is subsequent to Bucanero Fuerte in stall 4 at this time, so he can have a straightforward lead into the competition.
So on kind, he has probability, however what about his step as much as seven furlongs?
A look at his pedigree exhibits that his full-brother Wooded began life as a seven-furlong horse and was profitable on his second begin on the journey, completed fourth to Pinatubo within the Group 1 Prix Jean Prat, after which gained the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye over 5 furlongs on his remaining profession begin.
His different half-brother, Beat Le Bon, gained the 2019 version of the dear Golden Mile Handicap at Goodwood and has since positioned over two miles in America over hurdles, so his pedigree would recommend at this time’s journey needs to be no downside.
At 4/1 towards a 4/7 favorite, he appears like value for his high quality and hopefully, he can produce a surprising efficiency on the Curragh.
