Curragh Derby Meeting Friday Tips – DS
Curragh Derby Meeting Friday Tips
We made a super start to Derby Week with our ante-post pick, Vega Magnifico. He wasn’t declared for the race and he instead goes for the G2 after the big one. One loser in the bag already. On Day 1 the feature is the G2 Curragh Cup and we also have a couple of competitive handicaps, including the Apprentice Derby. Hopefully we can nick a place or two, and maybe even a winner. Check out Dave Stevos’ Curragh Derby Meeting Friday tips below.
5.00 – EBF Maiden (2yo)
It was forecast to rain heavily before racing today. You never know for sure if it will arrive and now, the forecast is for far less rain. If he was making his debut today, I’d be putting up Mount Ruapehu here. I am a big fan of his dam Katla and this Invincible Spirit colt makes a lot of appeal on paper. I was at Fairyhouse the day he made his debut and there were a few positive whispers about for him.
However, he looked green as grass and he trailed in 2nd last, beat 19 lengths. He could improve plenty for that and I think softer ground could suit him too, if the rain comes. However, I just can’t put him up after that Fairyhouse run. He might just need more time. The one I am going to take a punt on, purely on pedigree, is Mile End for Johnny Murtagh and Shane Kelly.
This early filly (foaled February) is by promising first season sire, Expert Eye. She is a first foal out of a dam who won a maiden second time up on soft ground at Goodwood as a 2yo. Her half-sister, Pretty Pollyanna, liked faster ground and she won the Prix Morny at 2yo and was 2nd in the Irish 1000 Guineas at this track. I’ll be keeping a close eye on Mount Ruapehu but today, Mile End is the e/w pick at 33/1 for small stakes.
Curragh Derby Meeting Friday Tips: Mile End e/w @ 33/1
5.35 – EBF Fillies’ Maiden (2yo)
The top two here showed a decent level of form on debut and they will probably fight out the finish. I am going to take a chance on an unraced one and the one I am backing for small stakes at 25/1 is Rhodesia. I was at Naas on Wednesday and saw Natalia Lupini go very close with a debutant in the 2yo maiden. He was very well backed at big odds and he only missed out by a neck under Billy Lee. Lupini has her horses in serious nick and her only two juvenile runners have now finished 2nd and 4th on their debuts.
Rhodesia is out of a Tamayuz mare that was no good on the track but she is a half to a couple of 2yo winners, including the useful Blue Wave. Rhodesia’s Grand Dam is a half to French Guineas (and 2yo) winner Elusive Wave so the pedigree is there. This is obviously a big ask on debut and there are some expensive and regally bred sorts in opposition. However, with Lupini in such good form, Rhodesia is worth a little e/w interest at 25/1.
Curragh Derby Meeting Friday Tips: Rhodesia e/w @ 25/1
6.08 – 7f Handicap (60-90)
It looks like the Curragh will miss the worst of the rain this afternoon. The ground should be good and that should suit Camdeboo. Trained by red-hot Joseph O’Brien, The Enforcer takes the ride and this daughter of Muhaarar is looking potentially well handicapped off a mark of just 85. An easy winner of a Cork maiden (7f gd/fm) on her return last season, she was highly tried afterwards. Her best effort came when 4th behind Measure Of Magic in a Listed heat over 5.5f on the same track.
Heavy ground was no good for her at Royal Ascot then she ran a couple of poor races in a Group 3 at Fairyhouse and a Listed contest at Naas. After a three month break, she had her second handicap start at Dundalk off 90 and she finished 3rd, beat 5L. She didn’t enjoy the clearest of runs and she could have finished closer to the winner.
Her seasonal comeback last month wasn’t up to much. However, the yielding ground was against her and today’s conditions should suit better. On the form of her Cork Listed 3rd her current mark of 85 looks more than workable and McDonagh was on board for her previous win. Once the ground remains on the quick side, Camdeboo could reward e/w support at odds of 16/1.
Curragh Derby Meeting Friday Tips: Camdeboo e/w @ 16/1 (5 Places) nap
6.43 – Curragh Cup (Group 2)
The big race of the day has attracted a field of seven. Wordsworth heads the market for O’Brien and Moore at odds of 9/4. He has run well this season without looking like winning but he has been expensive to follow. Master Of Reality was runner up in this a couple of years ago and he shaped nicely enough on his comeback at this track last month (12f gd/yld). His last win came in a Listed contest in July 2021 but he has never won in higher than G3 company. At the prices, I’d rather look elsewhere.
At 9/1, perhaps Camorra can take a step forward now back up in trip. Ger Lyons’ son of Zoffany finished 5th here over 12f last time, 5L behind Wordsworth and 2.5L behind Master Of Reality. He travelled into it well but didn’t really pick up on the good to yielding ground so today’s conditions should be more to his liking.
When he won his G3 at Leopardstown last year he made all. Colin Keane has dropped him out the last twice so hopefully, more aggressive tactics will be used this evening. He is still only a 5yo so there could yet be more improvement to come from this gelding and at odds of 9/1, he is the e/w selection.
Curragh Derby Meeting Friday Tips: Camorra e/w @ 9/1
7.18 – Apprentice Derby (0-80)
We backed Razdan at Lingfield in April and he just failed to get up for the win. He followed that up with another excellent effort at Leopardstown off 2lbs higher. Sean Bird now takes off 7lbs and off an effective mark of 70, I think he has monstrous claims today. Unfortunately, the money has come for him and the 14s that was widely available last night is long gone. He is into as short as 15/2 with most firms now so I’m not putting him up. However, if you are considering backing him, I wouldn’t put you off. He has a huge chance.
If you are looking for a bet at bigger odds, Sequoiaspirit fits the bill. This son of Mainsail has been a grand horse for connections, winning three races. A dual purpose sort, he last won off 61 at Tipperary (12.5f sft). However, he doesn’t need that type of ground. His two other handicap wins came on good so he should be fine whatever the weather does.
Back in April Ray Hackett’s charge went close in a handicap hurdle at Limerick (16f gd). He ran alright subsequently off 6lbs higher at Ballinrobe before he returned to the level with an excellent effort at Tipperary (12.5f gd/fm). He just got a bit tapped for toe in that contest and the return to a stiffer test like the Curragh should suit. Scott McCullagh rode a double at Limerick last week, hopefully he can steer Sequoiaspirit into the frame this evening at odds of 28/1.
Curragh Derby Meeting Friday Tips: Sequoiaspirit e/w @ 28/1 (4 places)
7.53 – 9f Handicap (50-75)
Sean Bird did us a huge turn on Ginsburg last month and I think he could be on another outsider with a big chance this evening. Donal Kinsella is a trainer that does well with very limited resources, the prime example being his stable stalwart Ducky Mallon. Lily Like has a long way to go to match his 8 wins but she has run well on three of her five starts this season, including twice here at the Curragh.
The problem for this filly is her tendency to miss the break. Badly. She fell out of the stalls on her reappearance here over 8f in March and she finished really well to be beat just 4L off 63. She blew the start again at Gowran in May (9.5f gd) and again, she made up lots of ground to be beat just 5.75L into 6th. Two runs ago she stood in the stalls again and once more, she finished off strongly to be beat just 4L.
She is a pound lower now and Sean Bird takes off another 10lbs. That means she is effectively 11lbs lower than when beat 4L two runs ago and 12lbs lower than she was on her seasonal comeback. Now, obviously there are risks attached to this mare and her chance is dependent on her at least getting a half decent start. If she doesn’t lose too much ground early doors, she has the ability to go close at odds of 66/1.
Curragh Derby Meeting Friday Tips: Lily Like e/w @ 66/1 (6 places B365)
8.28 – Irish EBF Handicap (0-95)
Off a mark of 72, Scenic Look could outrun her odds here. Formerly trained by Mark Fagan, this filly was highly tried at times over timber. She has a couple of 2nds in that discipline, one behind Britzka in a maiden at Fairyhouse (16f yld) for Fagan and then another behind The Gradual Slope at Kilbeggan for his new trainer, Adrian Murray.
On her first outing for Murray she ran in a 12f maiden here (gd) and she ran well to be 6th, conceding 6lbs to the younger horses. The horse a neck behind her in 7th, Corky, was beat 0.5L off 74 in the Ulster Oaks handicap next time out. Scenic Look races off the same mark as her today. None of the horses that finished in front of her have run yet but the first three all hold entries for the Irish Oaks so it could turn out to be a strong race.
Last time out Scenic Look ran another solid race in a 13f Down Royal maiden. She was beat into 2nd by Dancila and she meets her again here off the same terms. She has 4.5L to find with the Bolger horse and I think she could close the gap over this extra 3f. If she can get to within 2L of him this time, that could well be enough to land place money. At odds of 40/1, Scenic Look is worth chancing e/w.
