Next month’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a potential target for Sunday’s Irish Derby hero Lambourn, who could there face the brilliant French older horse Calandagan.
Just minutes after Lambourn’s Curragh classic victory, Calandagan secured a first career Group One success in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud in Paris.
Carrying the colours of the late Aga Khan, the gelding routed last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe runner-up Aventure, winning by 3½ lengths after a withering run from the back of the five-runner field.
As a gelding, Calandagan is prevented from lining up in the Arc although a mouth-watering clash of the generations in the King George may be on the cards.
RM Block
As Calandagan had finished runner-up in his four previous races, Sunday’s performance also silenced those who doubted his resolution when second to Jan Brueghel in Epsom’s Coronation Cup.
“He might have needed that race as he hadn’t run for a few months and he’s better on this good ground. This was a proper field and he really, really deserved this win.
“We thought if he ran well today the King George is the plan if we have good firm ground. This is a confidence booster. He’s run so many good races in defeat in different countries on different ground and it was nice to give him a race at home,” said a spokesperson for the ownership.
At the Curragh, a marathon nine-race card, to facilitate World Pool betting, didn’t deter the biggest attendance of the year turning up at HQ.
An official figure of 11,200 was reported by the Curragh’s chief executive Brian Kavanagh, an increase of more than 8 per cent on what he called an “adjusted” 2024 figure of 10,300. After last year’s Derby, a crowd figure of 11,418 was released by the racecourse.
Fears that a card featuring six handicaps, and no other Group race outside of the Derby, might prove a turn-off to racegoers didn’t look to be borne out.
“There was a great buzz here today,” Kavanagh said. “I think they are coming for the day out and coming for the Derby as part of it. Whether it is six, seven, eight or nine races is a different issue. Of all days, the Derby is the day when people come to spend time here. This will be a hard place to clear!”
August’s Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville could prove an ideal fit for Vespertilio to break her Group One duck after she landed Sunday’s Listed Dash at the Curragh.
Third in last year’s French 1,000 Guineas at a mile, and runner-up to Fallen Angel in the 2023 Moyglare over seven furlongs, Willie McCreery’s filly picked up a first success since landing the Debutante Stakes as a two-year-old.
Such high-class form at longer distances delayed a sprinting career until this season and the class that allowed Vespertilio carry her speed over a mile came to the fore in a nose defeat of My Mate Alfie.
Dylan Browne McMonagle had to search for a split on the winner but she picked up notably well. McCreery nominated the “Gheest” next where a 1,300m test might prove perfect for his stable star.
“You put your neck on the line when you try to persuade the owners to come back two furlongs in trip and you’re telling them this is a proper sprint filly this year,” said a relieved McCreery.
“Some horses get faster as they get older and I thought she looked the best she’s ever looked in the ring today; mature and strong and she looks more like a sprinter every time I see her,” he added.
Aidan O’Brien’s King Charlemagne was, all of 24 years ago, the last Irish-trained winner of the Prix Maurice de Gheest. It was won last year by Lazzat.
Skukuza won a handicap at the Curragh’s Guineas festival and followed up in some style on Derby weekend to successfully step up to Listed level in the Celebration Stakes.
Ryan Moore took the bull by the horns and cut out the running on the English runner who proved much too strong for his local opposition to win by more than two lengths.
Trainer Eddie Lynam fulfilled a lifetime ambition when Keke justified favouritism in the prestigious Rockingham Handicap.
Whirl is a general 12/1 shot for Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe glory in October following her gallant defeat of Kalpana in Saturday’s Pretty Polly Stakes.
She won despite appearing to shy from a photographer situated close to the rail about 140 metres from the finish line. The stewards interviewed Kavanagh about the incident. He said he didn’t know the photographer but accepted she shouldn’t have been there. The matter was sent on to a Referrals Committee for further investigation.
Saturday’s official attendance at the Curragh was 6,900.
