Last year’s beaten Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban races on home soil for the first time in almost 12 months in the 1m 6f Group 2 Curragh Cup. This Flat staying contest, the chief supporting race on the Saturday of Irish Oaks Weekend, is one missing from Willie Mullins’ CV. All roads lead back Down Under for Rich & Susannah Ricci’s six-year-old Galiway gelding.
Vauban last ran in Ireland back in August 2023 when he readily landed the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes at Naas. Following two subsequent defeats after his Australian mission over the winter, he isn’t even favourite with the best betting sites in the British Isles. That is a little surprising, because Vauban finished in front of the market leader when runner-up at York in May.
That Yorkshire Cup form has been franked too with the winner, Giavellotto, defying a penalty down in trip during Newmarket’s July Festival. Back in fourth was subsequent John Smith’s Silver Cup second Al Qareem. The bookies installed Tower Of London, only fifth on that final day of the Dante meeting on the Knavesmire, as favourite. Vauban has 5 1/2 lengths in hand on that re-opposing rival on that form.
He now meets Aidan O’Brien runner Tower Of London off level weights and 3lb worse terms. The four-year-old Galileo colt won a valuable handicap in Saudi Arabia and then the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup before dropping back in trip. Unlike Vauban, Tower Of London sat Royal Ascot out and escapes a penalty for his Meydan win in March.
Ballydoyle Triple-Handed in Curragh Cup
Although the choice of Ryan Moore, Ballydoyle maestro O’Brien runs three here, just like in the feature Irish Oaks earlier on the card. Joining Tower Of London in the race are a couple of three-year-olds. They receive 12lb weight for age from their elders, but lack the credentials of the stable’s first-string.
Gasper De Lemos looked to have a promising future as a potential stayer this season following his Zetland Stakes second at Newmarket last term. The Justify colt out of a Galileo mare didn’t get home in the 1m 5f Yeats Stakes, a Listed race at Navan. Gasper De Lemos could only then finish a three-length fifth on handicap debut in the King George V Stakes during Royal Ascot.
Completing the Ballydoyle trio is Grosvenor Square, sacrificed as a pacemaker for Los Angeles in the Irish Derby here last month. Out of the same dam as Santiago, better was expected from the son of Galileo. Grosvenor Square must take a big step forward from that after weakening three out. Neither he nor Gasper De Lemos seem much of a threat to the principals with horse racing betting sites going 14/1 apiece about the pair.
Shamida Out to Beat the Boys
Aga Khan filly Shamida is 13/2 third-favourite for the Curragh Cup despite a lengthy racecourse absence and poor effort in France when last season. Dermot Weld’s four-year-old daughter of Australia clearly progressed last season, however, after wins in both the Stanerra Stakes against fellow females and over course and distance in the official Irish St Leger Trial.
Gutsy! 🏇
Shamida, the only filly in the Irish St Leger Trial Stakes, digs deep to repel the challenge of strong stayer Dawn Rising close home.
Lightly-raced and firmly on the up, could we see this daughter of Australia in the St Leger?@curraghrace pic.twitter.com/B4EcGn8v4r
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 20, 2023
Shamida only finished seventh in the Prix de Royallieu on Arc Weekend at Longchamp. This is an ease in grade, although she’s back in open company. Off an almost 300-day lay-off, Weld must’ve done plenty on the gallops or Shamida’s lack of fitness will hamper her chances here.
There is one other female in the Curragh Cup line-up this year and it’s Joseph O’Brien runner Dancing Tango. The five-year-old Camelot mare went close to landing the Stanerra Stakes, moved from Leopardstown to an even more testing track in Fairhouse this term. O’Brien junior also saddles 2022 Irish Leger Trial winner Raise You, but he’s a veteran eight-year-old now.
Kinesiology Rerouted to Curragh Cup from Newmarket
Rain in the build-up to the July Festival resulted in a change of plans for Jessica Harrington’s Kinesiology. A neck runner-up in the King George V Cup around Leopardstown, everything pointed to the three-year-old Study Of Man colt contesting the Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket.
Kinesiology now takes on his elders instead and has the same official rating as Grosvenor Square. That puts him joint-best of the younger generation in the Curragh Cup line-up. This demands more from Kinesiology, even getting the best part of a stone in weight for age from the older horses.
Completing the field of 12 are Amo Racing’s Crypto Force up again trip, Jim Bolger runner Eastern Legend who switches back to the Flat after hurdling at the Punchestown Festival, and two outsiders for race sponsor Luke Comer in Aircraft Carrier and Seattle Creek. It’s hard to see any of these outsiders having a say in the finish, but another Mullins v O’Brien clash adds spice.
