Latest news with #IrishOaks
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Kia Joorabchian removes several horses including ‘spectacular' £4.6million Frankel filly from Ralph Beckett yard
KIA JOORABCHIAN has moved several horses away from Ralph Beckett — including the unraced £4.6million Frankel filly named Partying. The AMO Racing chief has shipped a number of his string from Kimpton Down Stables to Freemason Lodge where his new trainer Kevin Philippart De Foy has recently moved. 1 New AMO Racing trainer Kevin Philippart de Foy has taken delivery of a number of former Ralph Beckett-trained horses, including a record-setting £4.6million Frankel filly Credit: PA Joorabchian has left former Irish Oaks heroine You Got To Me with Beckett for now but has moved on the majority of his horses previously with the Arc-winning handler. De Foy sent out his first runners since his switch to Freemason at Leicester on Wednesday and has also recently received Ghostwriter, who was with Clive Cox. The £2m purchase was red-hot favourite for the Princess Of Wales's Stakes at the Newmarket July meeting earlier this month. But had to be withdrawn after rearing over when being saddled ahead of the 1m4f Group 2 won by Charlie Appleby's El Cordobes. The Belgian trainer recently issued an update on the four-year-old colt, saying: "Everything is fine with Ghostwriter and hopefully he'll be back soon." But it is Partying who is real headline-grabber. She was the most expensive yearling sold in the northern hemisphere last year and is out of the Royal Ascot-winning Shamardal mare Aljazzi. Joorabchian's right-hand man Alex Elliott helped strike the decisive blow at the Tattersalls Book 1 sale last October. Most read in Horse Racing And he said at the time: "She's a Frankel filly with that kind of physique from that kind of family. "We've seen Ylang Ylang from the same farm on the same Shamardal cross – we just need history to repeat itself! "I keep saying to people horses will pay you back. "It was a good bit more than we thought we'd have to pay but when Kia and his partners decided that they wanted the filly, they wanted the filly. "She is a spectacular filly, it is a spectacular price, and there's a spectacular bunch of horses here. "I'd like to say I was a cool customer when all that was taking place, but that would be a fib – I have never been in that rarified atmosphere before." De Foy moved to the now-retired Sir Michael Stoute's former base recently after Speaking of his decision to take on the trainer, who he called a 'perfect fit', football superagent Joorabchian said: "Kevin is a fantastic horseman who understands our goals and shares our ambition. "Having known and worked with him for several years, it makes this transition even smoother. "We know his character fits and our ideas align perfectly. "We believe he's the right person to take the operation to the next level, and we're excited about what's ahead with him leading the team at this historic yard." While De Foy added: "I am deeply honoured to have been entrusted with the responsibility of taking over at Freemason Lodge and training such an exciting string of horses for Amo Racing. "This is a major milestone in my career, and I'm incredibly grateful to Kia and the team for the opportunity. "Amo Racing's investment and ambition in the sport are truly inspiring, and I look forward to playing my part in what I hope will be a very successful journey together." FREE BETS - GET THE BEST SIGN UP DEALS AND RACING OFFERS Commercial content notice: Taking one of the offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. You should be aware brands pay fees to appear in the highest placements on the page. 18+. T&Cs apply. . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Read more on the Irish Sun Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chases their losses Doesn't gamble if they're upset, angry or depressed Gamcare – Gamble Aware – Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
Irish Times
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Minnie Hauk's Irish Oaks success extends Aidan O'Brien's stunning Group One winning streak
Minnie Hauk's Juddmonte Irish Oaks success at the Curragh on Saturday means that Aidan O'Brien has saddled the winners of 33 per cent of Group One races run in Ireland, Britain and France so far this season. The remarkable tally of 11 top-flight contests before even halfway through the campaign puts the Irish trainer in contention to break his own world record haul of 28 Group/Grade One races in a single season set in 2017. One bookmaker makes O'Brien a 9-2 shot to do just that in what is fast turning into, even by his own stellar standards, a rare display of elite domination. Minnie Hauk was his seventh Classic victory in 2025. The 2-11 favourite became the 16th filly to complete the Epsom-Curragh Oaks double and is a 10-1 favourite for October's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. READ MORE Afterwards, the Coolmore brains trust led by supremo John Magnier debated the correct route to Longchamp for her, either through the Yorkshire Oaks next month or a test over the Arc course and distance in the Prix Vermeille in September. Both contests figure in the 46 top-class races still up for grabs in Europe's three major racing jurisdictions this season. With global options also expanding in the autumn, including at the Breeders' Cup, a new record tally could be on O'Brien's radar. What's certain is that his current mark is equal at the same point as during his momentous 2017 campaign and that the resources he has available to him are unparalleled. Over the weekend O'Brien revealed that his most exciting two-year-old Albert Einstein probably won't race again this season. There are also doubts about the future of the Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Lake Victoria who may be retired. Despite that, if anything, his hold on this season's top races appears to be only tightening. He has indicated the Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel will renew Epsom rivalry with the top French horse Calandagan in this Saturday's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. That will allow him keep in reserve the dual-Derby hero Lambourn for a potential tilt at more Classic glory in September's St Leger at Doncaster rather than take on holder horses in British racing's midsummer highlight. 'At the moment I'd say Jan Brueghel is most likely to go to the King George, with Continuous. Lambourn is still on the boiling pot for it, but I don't think he'll be forced into it by any means, and he is a three-year-old,' O'Brien said. 'Jan Brueghel seems to be in very good form and everyone seems to be very happy with him. I'd imagine the lads might let him go there. 'That would mean Lambourn would have a couple of easy weeks and he might go to the Great Voltigeur, even though he's a Group One winner, and kind of set him up for the Leger. They haven't really decided yet, but reading between the lines that's what could happen,' he added. Almost immediately after the King George is the start of the Goodwood festival, where O'Brien horses are favourites for two of the three Group One contests up for grabs there. Illinois is odds-on for the Goodwood Cup, while the Pretty Polly heroine Whirl tops lists for the Nassau Stakes. In between, Henri Matisse is set to again take on his St James's Palace Stakes conqueror Field Of Gold. There are a handful of Group One prizes up for grabs in Deauville. One horse out of the King George equation is the King Edward VII Stakes winner Amiloc. He hasn't recovered from his Royal Ascot exertions in time to satisfy his trainer Ralph Beckett. 'It's a training decision and Ralph felt he could just do with a little bit more time having had a hard race at Royal Ascot,' said a spokesman for Amiloc's ownership. 'The real racing for this horse will be in the autumn time and Ralph thinks it's a little too quick after his last race. It's nothing more than that and nothing untoward.' Monday evening's domestic action in Ballinrobe is more ordinary fare, but the transformed handicapper Deuteronomy gets a shot at completing four wins in a row. Nicola Burns's mount keeps winning by half a length but has been upped 9lbs for winning at Limerick and has to overcome a wide draw.
Leader Live
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
Action-packed Curragh Eyecatcher one to follow
The apparent second string of three runners for Ballydoyle, the son of Frankel is a half-brother to dual Derby winner Lambourn, so the seven-furlong distance he faced in the opener on Irish Oaks day was always likely to be on the short side. Having sat in the slipstream of his front-running stablemate New Zealand for much of the way, Action looked to be back-pedalling passing the two-furlong marker, but the penny dropped late on and he was fairly motoring at the line, in the end beaten just a nose and half a length into third place.
North Wales Chronicle
20-07-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Minnie Hauk makes it a Classic double with battling Curragh victory
The Frankel filly got the better of stablemate and subsequent Pretty Polly Stakes winner Whirl when landing the Oaks at Epsom in early June and was a prohibitively-priced 2-11 favourite to follow up against six rivals in the Irish equivalent. Settled in third for much of the mile-and-a-half contest, with fellow Aidan O'Brien-trained runner Island Hopping deployed in a pacesetting role and Oaks and Pretty Polly fourth Wemightakedlongway splitting the pair in second, Minnie Hauk was under pressure to close the gap with two furlongs to go. MINNIE HAUK WINS THE JUDDMONTE IRISH OAKS! 🏆 An English and Irish Oaks double!#ITVRacing |@curraghrace — ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 19, 2025 Joseph O'Brien's Wemightakedlongway proved a willing adversary, but the red-hot favourite eventually took her measure and passed the post a length and a quarter in front under Ryan Moore to give O'Brien his eighth Irish Oaks success. 'We thought we'd be sitting second and Dylan (Browne McMonagle, on Wemightakedlongway) got the second position, so Ryan had to make a decision, he was either going to sit second on Dylan's inside, in behind Wayne (Lordan, on Island Hopping), or pull back out of it in a way that he wouldn't have been boxed in,' said the Ballydoyle handler. 'Obviously that's a decision Ryan had to make quickly and it was the right decision. It wasn't over-fast. We knew Joseph's filly was a good filly and Dylan gave her a very good ride. 'She (Minnie Hauk) is one of those fillies that you're probably never going to see the best of until the tempo is very strong and very high. She cruises through her races.' Minnie Hauk is the 2-1 market leader for next month's Yorkshire Oaks with Paddy Power, who also make her the 10-1 joint-favourite for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. O'Brien added: 'The boss (John Magnier) asked Ryan where to go with her and he said to go to the Yorkshire Oaks. The boss said, 'what about if we give her a break and train her for the Vermeille and give her a French Arc prep?'. 'All those things are open and we'll see how she is. I think she can do either of those things, but if she's going to the French trial she'd have to have a couple of easy weeks. Obviously if she's going to York, she wouldn't have those couple of easy weeks. 'She had a very easy race today, I'd say. The tempo wasn't very strong so she should come out of it well. I'd imagine in the next week or so we'll have a fair idea, but they are her two options. 'Looking at her she'd probably love York. She has a big stride and it's a Flat track, too. Obviously the boss will decide with Derrick (Smith) and Michael (Tabor).'
North Wales Chronicle
20-07-2025
- Sport
- North Wales Chronicle
Action-packed Curragh Eyecatcher one to follow
The apparent second string of three runners for Ballydoyle, the son of Frankel is a half-brother to dual Derby winner Lambourn, so the seven-furlong distance he faced in the opener on Irish Oaks day was always likely to be on the short side. Having sat in the slipstream of his front-running stablemate New Zealand for much of the way, Action looked to be back-pedalling passing the two-furlong marker, but the penny dropped late on and he was fairly motoring at the line, in the end beaten just a nose and half a length into third place.
