Curragh Saturday Preview - 22/05/21

The first selection of the day from The Curragh comes in the Group Three Marble Hill Stakes over six furlongs and if handling the soft ground Cadamosto looks a smart prospect.

The £130,000 purchase as a yearling has been seen once to date at Dundalk over five furlongs and he was a bold winner, bolting up by close to four lengths.

He makes his turf debut on Saturday and if handling the soft ground looks to have enough pace to trouble any horse.

Should also improve for his debut run.

Next up is the Group Two Greenlands Stakes over six furlongs and the British raider Glen Shiel could be a class above this field if fully tuned up for this event.

The seven year old gelding came on leaps and bounds last season, starting the term off as a handicapper and ending it as a Group One winner.

Having won a Conditions Stakes at Newcastle on the all weather, he then went to the Curragh on softish ground and landed the Group Three Phoenix Sprint Stakes.

The improvement was remarkable as he then headed to Haydock for his first try in Group One company and he finished a good second to Dream Of Dreams In the Sprint Cup Stakes.

Progressing again, on his final run of last season he managed to Give Archie Watson, Hollie Doyle and himself their first Group One victory when narrowly taking the British Champion Sprint Stakes at Ascot.

His best form has come on soft ground and getting his perfect conditions, dropping down in trip, he looks the one to beat.

The feature race on the card is the Grade One Irish 2000 Guineas and the horse we like at a price is Battleground for the master trainer Aidan O'Brien.

Battleground, although needing to bounce back from his seasonal debut, still holds bundles of ability and looks to be overpriced in the market.

The son of War Front was an exceptional juvenile, needing his debut at Naas over 6f when a fair fifth, but after that went on to be one of O'Brien's best two year olds last season.

On his second start he went to Royal Ascot for the Listed Chesham Stakes over 7f and he revelled in the extra trip to get off the mark for his career.

He then backed that up at Glorious Goodwood in the Group Two Vintage Stakes, pulling away from a good field in the final stages.

The colt was saved until November for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and finished a superb second behind a home runner, giving a superb run on his first try over a mile.

Having apparently wintered well, it was all systems go for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket but only beating one runner home left a lot to be desired.

The three year old needs to bounce back in a big way but getting back onto slower ground is a positive and we think that run was too bad to be true.

Another special race on the card is the Group Two Lanawades Stud Stakes over a mile and the Johnny Murtagh trained Champers Elysees should be fit and ready for this event.

At the start of last season the filly was only rated 86 and had no aspirations of becoming a Group One winning horse but the training job that Murtagh has done with this filly has been amazing.

Last term she raced six times and landed her four straight victories at the start of the season, with her best of them being when coming over the top of Irish 2000 Guineas winner Peaceful to land the Group One Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.

That performance handed Murtagh his first ever Group One winner as a trainer and since that win she has been bought by Teruya Yoshida who is a major player in the Japanese bloodstock industry.

She was sent to Newmarket after the big success and back in Group One company she could only finish fourth of 12 in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket.

Back this term the filly made a satisfactory return when fourth in the Group Three Athasi Stakes over seven furlongs at The Curragh.

She should come on a bunch for that run and having won on this ground before she is a live player.

The penultimate selection of the afternoon comes in the Spring Fillies' Handicap over a mile and Umneyaat for Dermot Weld looks a highly consistent filly.

The daughter of Dansili has been six times during her short career and although not breaking her maiden has not come out of the top three.

She made her debut last season and finished third behind Group One winner Shale in a Fillies' Maiden on soft ground and then backed that up at Galway next time out when second.

Back in a Fillies' Maiden she was a fair third and then she rounded off her juvenile season finishing runner up behind Willow for Aidan O'Brien.

The three year old returned for this season at Dundalk and was the bridesmaid again over 1m2f and then last time out over the same trip was third behind the likeable Party House.

She makes her handicap debut in this event and off a mark of 80 could break her duck.

The final selection of the afternoon comes in the Betway Handicap over seven furlongs and Montego Bay for Aidan O'Brien looks a nice prospect on her second handicap start.

The three year old filly was average on her first two starts as a juvenile, but on her three runs this term has looked a much more mature horse.

Stepping up to a mile on seasonal debut, the filly was a smart fourth in a Fillies' Maiden and then on her handicap debut next time out was a close second over seven furlongs at The Curragh.

Back in a Fillies' Maiden last time out she got off the mark for the first time in her career in comfortable fashion and now on a decent mark of 85 can make it back to back wins.