2023 Curragh Irish Oaks Meeting Tips – DS
2023 Curragh Irish Oaks Meeting Tips
We have already backed a filly for the day’s feature race ante post, check that preview out here. Saturday is a massive day and we will not only have tips for the 2023 Curragh Irish Oaks meeting, we’ll also be covering the Super Sprint card at Newbury (click here). Tips for Saturday’s Irish action are below.
2.00 – Anglesey Stakes (Group 3)
This a very interesting G3 for the juveniles. Nine will go to post and with rain in the air, the ground will be on the soft side. Only one horse in this field has form on easy ground and it is winning form. Do It With Style, who we backed at Royal Ascot (6f gd/fm), beat Ocean Baroque at this track over 6f on debut on soft ground.
Kieran Cotter’s 2yo is well regarded and the 2-3-4 from that heat have all won maidens since. Donnacha O’Brien’s son of Ten Sovereigns hasn’t looked as good on faster ground the last twice. He has four winning half siblings, three of whom won on good to soft or slower, so perhaps rain softened ground holds the key to him.
At this track last time he finished 4th in the G2 Airlie Stakes. Gunzburg was 3.75L ahead of him but Do It With Style raced on the far side and the first three finishers all raced on the near side. The likes of Pearls And Rubies, Kairyu and Buyin Buyin do set a pretty decent standard and the form of Jack Davison’s filly’s maiden is working out well too. However, they all have it to prove on what will hopefully be soft ground so at 33/1, back Do It With Style e/w.
2023 Curragh Irish Oaks Meeting Tips: Do It With Style e/w @ 33/1
2.35 – Scurry Handicap (Premier)
Off a mark of just 92 surely Gustavus Weston can make his presence felt here. It has been a couple of years since Joe Murphy’s sprinter tasted victory. This gelding is a four time winner and three of those came in stakes company over 6f at this track on yielding/soft/heavy ground.
He has twice run in this race before. He was well beaten in it off 100 as a 3yo in 2019 but again, it was good ground. Last year, on good ground, he was beat just 3.5L for the win off 104 and he was only 1.5l off a place.
I would imagine that Joe Murphy targeted a repeat bid after that fine effort and he pitches up off 92, 12lbs lower than last year. He ran his best race of the season on his seasonal return at the Curragh (6f hvy) off 97, beat just 3l by Hurricane Ivor.
His last run here in a Listed contest (6f gd) was a step back in the right direction and he looks an extremely well handicapped horse right now. For example, he was giving Big Gossey a stone in last year’s Scurry. This time, he’ll be getting 7lbs from him, a huge swing of over 20lbs. Hopefully the forecast rain comes and if it does, Gustavus Weston looks a cracking e/w bet at odds of 25/1.
2023 Curragh Irish Oaks Meeting Tips: Gustavus Weston e/w @ 25/1 NAP (6 places)
3.10 – Sapphire Stakes (Group 2)
Just like Gustavus Weston, Moss Tucker will be delighted that the weather has turned. Similarly to Run To Freedom, I was sure this sprinter was a G1 winner in waiting this term. The 5yo son of Excelebration has already won a Listed race (5f hvy) at Naas this season and he placed behind Ladies Church on better ground in a G2 at the same track in May.
Last time out in another G2 he finished well beaten. However, that run came just six days after his previous outing and it probably came too soon. Ken Condon has given him a nice two month break and he should be ready to rock and roll now for some big assignments in the second half of the season.
This horse handles most ground but he is probably a 10lb better horse on testing ground. Both of his Listed wins came on soft/heavy and it was soft when he ran a massive race in the Prix De L’Abbaye last season. His official rating of 108 leaves him with a bit to find on the figures with some of his shorter priced rivals but I believe Moss Tucker is a 115 horse all day on soft ground. At odds of 11/1, hopefully he proves me right.
2023 Curragh Irish Oaks Meeting Tips: Moss Tucker e/w @ 11/1 NB
3.45 – Juddmonte Irish Oaks (Group 1)
We have already backed Azazat for this race at 16/1. I am more than happy to stick with her and just like with Moss Tucker and Gustavus Weston, hopefully the rain comes in time.
2023 Curragh Irish Oaks Meeting Tips: Azazat already advised ante-post e/w @ 16/1
4.20 – Curagh Cup (Group 2)
The top two in the betting here, Emily Dickinson and Rosscarbery, both handle an ease and they look by far the two most likely winners. Okita Soushi has been pulled on account of soft ground before so the weather forecast is not in his favour. Heavy ground maiden winner Gooloogong is unexposed and he gets a nice bit of weight from his elders. He hasn’t been seen for 115 days though so he might need the run.
Another 3yo in here that might go well on rain softened ground is Young Ireland. He was miles behind Gooloogong at Navan in a maiden back in March but you’d imagine he was in need of that run. Since then he went close in a maiden here over 10f (hvy), won his maiden at Cork (10f hvy) and he finally picked up some black type at Roscommon in a Listed contest earlier this month.
In that 11.5f (gd/yld) race he ran wide off the first bend so he did well to finish 2nd behind Espionage. That horse is rated 112 and was beat just a head in a Saint Cloud G1 last season. As I said earlier, the top two in the market are the ones to beat but third looks up for grabs. Hopefully Young Ireland can build on his last run and nick some more black type for Jim Bolger at odds of 33/1.
