Irish Derby Day World Pool preview: a tip for every race at the Curragh

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The Irish Derby is race seven on the card (16:35 BST), but the meeting begins at 13:10 BST with a 1400m (7f) maiden for two-year-olds. Aidan O’Brien has won 10 of the last 17 renewals – including the last four - and his newcomer EXCEPTIONALLY, a half-sister to Derby winner City Of Troy (who won on debut), is worth taking a chance on. Stablemates Alpha (the mount of Ryan Moore) and Ibelieveicanfly have both shown plenty to work with, as has Livenka who was third to Royal Ascot winner Victorious last time. 

The 1000m (5f) Rockingham Handicap at 13:40 BST is very competitive, but BACK DOWN UNDER showed enough dash last time over 1200m to suggest that the return to this distance will not count against her. In first-time cheekpieces, she’s narrowly preferred to the hat-trick-seeking Sarahmae, English raider Toca Madera, Dark Ace and Red Evolution. 

Big Gossey runs this track very well, but he would prefer slower ground, and so preference in the 1200m (6f) listed contest at 14:10 is for CALIFORNIA DREAMER who has been showing plenty of speed in better races over further and could find this race to be right up his street. Silk Braid appears to have been saved for this assignment, but her form with Charles Darwin hasn’t worked out well.

The 1600m (1m) handicap at 14:45 can go to ORANDI who shaped with more promise when last seen in April and looks handicapped to win races once more; the demands of this contest should suit him. The returning State Actor and the in-form Zarathos head the list of dangers. 

PURVIEW looked a colt to follow when winning easily at the track last time, and the shorter distance (2200m) of the Dubai Duty Free International Stakes at 15:20 should be no problem for the Dermot Weld-trained son of Kingman. Isaac Newton was given a patient ride when getting back to winning ways at Navan and could prove the pick of the Ballydoyle runners with that confidence boosting win under his belt. Crown Of Oaks, a very progressive handicapper in Britain last term, is respected on her return to action. 

The 1600m (1m) listed race at 15:55 looks tricky. The return to this distance will suit ALCANTOR, who drops in grade, while Tokenomics ran right up to his best when second at Leopardstown and a repeat of that would put him firmly in the mix. 

The main event – the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (2400m) - takes place at 16:35 and it’s a race that has often favoured those who have stamina in abundance. That’s the case with CHRISTMAS DAY who won the Derby at Epsom in fine style and is fancied to prove too strong here in the Irish equivalent; he can give Aidan O’Brien a remarkable 18th win in the race. Benvenuto Cellini is the most respected of his stablemates, but the biggest danger could be Raaheeb who has the world at his feet after a classy Sandown win last time out. 

The 1800m (9f) handicap at 17:15 can go to the four-timer-seeking BOBBY MCGEE who had to miss Royal Ascot due to a temperature, but whose form looks rock solid. Navan runner-up Manton Bay and Leopardstown winner How’sthebai, who was behind Bobby McGee at Naas, make the shortlist. 

Finally, the 2400m (12f) handicap that concludes the card at 17:45 should suit IN MY TEENS who looked ready for a step up in trip here last month. She looks weighted to win, at the main expense of the hat-trick-seeking The Real Screamer and the class-dropping Marazion. Factual Fact and Obscenity are others to consider. 

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