Hard to believe as it might seem after the prolonged build-up, but racing life continues after Cheltenham and this weekend’s action, which is highlighted by Sunday’s start to the 2025 Irish flat season at the Curragh.
Elbowing its way into the midst of the crammed spring jumps festivals, the return of racing at HQ inevitably struggles for prominence although it heralds the approach of a focus on Classic prospects such as The Lion In Winter rather than the merits of novice chasers.
“The most important meeting of the week!” joked Curragh chief executive Brian Kavanagh on Friday in advance of the first of 24 meetings this year at the Home of the Classics.
Kavanagh noted increases in the value of handicaps at the Curragh for 2025 as well as improved facilities for owners. He also referenced a trio of British challengers for the €100,000 Nua Healthcare Irish Lincolnshire that’s the feature of Sunday’s action.
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“There were 12 British winners here in 2024 so it’s good to see those three horses here,” Kavanagh said. “A notable statistic from last year was how 70 different trainers won races here. The 11 Group One races went to eight different trainers.”
One absence on Sunday will be post-race gallops by Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle team. The champion trainer has regularly used to the Curragh in the past to give his potential classic prospects a day away. Kavanagh said full fields for the eight racecard rules that out.
Nevertheless, Ryan Moore will be on duty for a trio of Ballydoyle rides in maidens, a first Irish visit in advance of a season that could once more prove hugely successful for the English rider.
The Lion In Winter, unbeaten in two starts as a two-year-old, is favourite for the 2000 Guineas and Derby. Moore has a potential hat-trick in his sights in the Epsom highlight in June after winning for the last two years on City Of Troy and Auguste Rodin.
Ireland’s champion jockey Colin Keane has classic ambitions of his own with Red Letter and Babouche among a highly promising crop of fillies trained by his boss, Ger Lyons. The partnership won at last November’s Breeders’ Cup with the colt Magnum Force.
Keane has seven rides on Sunday, none of them for Lyons who’s keeping his powder dry for now, but they include a hugely interesting Lincoln contender in Gleneagle Bay.
Despite being five, the Stephen Thorne-trained runner has had just a handful of career starts. The first three were for Joseph O’Brien before one for Jack Davison when just beaten at the Irish Champions Festival, and a single start for Thorne at the back end.
At the ICF, Gleneagle Bay’s jockey reported the horse to be still green and first-time cheekpieces are applied this weekend. A mark of 92 could still be lenient in a field of 27 hardy handicappers that include the 2022 winner Raadobarg.
Thorne also gives Independent Expert, third in last year’s Curragh Cambridgeshire, a first start for the yard.
Ross Coakley, who rode almost 150 winners in Britain in over three years, is back based in Ireland and has six rides for Jim Bolger.
They include Slaney View in the opening juvenile maiden, a race Bolger won with the subsequent Guineas hero Dawn Approach in 2012. It has been Adrian Murray who has dominated it in the last couple of years and Power Blue is one of four rides on the card for David Egan.
Separately, after a largely frustrating Cheltenham, Gordon Elliott sends a pair of runners to Uttoxeter on Saturday for the marathon Midlands National over 4¼ miles and worth almost €200,000.
Fortunedefortunata landed the National Trial at Punchestown last month where his stable companion Where it All Began fell at the third last. The other Irish hope, John McConnell’s Bodhisattva, unseated his rider in the Eider at Newcastle won by Knockanore.
Topweight for the Uttoxeter feature is Mr Vango, winner of the Peter Marsh at Haydock on his last start.
Saturday’s home action is at Thurles where the hugely popular Hewick brings some star quality to the conditions hurdle.
The 2023 King George hero is ridden for the first time by Shark Hanlon’s son Paddy who takes off 7lbs in a race that may tee Hewick up for a tilt at next month’s Grand National
Asterion Forlonge looks the pick of Willie Mullins’s two runners although the high-class grey was turned over at odds-on in this race a couple of years ago.
Mullins also has two in the Grade Three Pierce Molony Chase. Fun Fun Fun disappointed behind Only By Night in Exeter on her last start but High Class Hero comes here on the back of a good win at Punchestown last month. He can also boast some good hurdles form from last year.
