Tuesday tops eight contenders for Irish Derby crown

Oaks winner Tuesday heads a field of eight for Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.

Aidan O’Brien’s narrow Epsom victor was supplemented for the Classic on Tuesday and has since made her way to the top of the market.

The daughter of Galileo will be attempting to become the first filly since Balanchine in 1994 to win the Irish Derby and she is O’Brien’s only runner in the race.

His sons are also represented, however. Joseph O’Brien runs Hannibal Barca, who won the Gallinule Stakes on his first run since leaving Brian Meehan, while Donnacha O’Brien runs Piz Badile, who disappointed at Epsom.

Westover is the major challenger from the UK for Ralph Beckett.

He met trouble in running when a fast-finishing third behind Desert Crown at Epsom. Rob Hornby, who rode him that day, has been replaced by Ireland’s champion jockey Colin Keane.

The UK challenge is completed by the David Menuisier-trained Lionel, winner of the Cocked Hat Stakes at Goodwood.

Jim Bolger runs Boundless Ocean, French Claim represents Paddy Twomey, while Andy Oliver’s Glory Daze completes the field.

A field of six go to post in the GAIN Railway Stakes with three of them, Age Of Kings, Blackbeard and Crispy Cat all having run at Royal Ascot.

Seven horses have stood their ground for the Group 3 Saturday’s ARM Holding International Stakes with last season’s Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas hero Mac Swiney, trained by Jim Bolger, leading the way. Dermot Weld’s Duke De Sessa skips the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby to run here and takes his chance along with Visualisation and Vega Magnifico from the Joseph O'Brien yard, the Michael Halford-trained Bear Story, Paddy Twomey’s Rumbles Of Thunder and Aidan O'Brien’s Aikhal.

Ger Lyons’ Power Under Me looks the leading fancy for the 11-runner Listed Dubai Duty Free Dash Stakes which gets the eight-race card underway at 1.25pm on Saturday and his Marbling, along with the Joseph O'Brien-trained Night Of Romance, look leading players in the Dubai Duty Free Summer Fillies Handicap, another race with an 11-runner field.

Ten horses are set to go to post for the Listed Dubai Duty Free Celebration Stakes in which the Johnny Murtagh-trained Raadobarg bids to complete a hat-trick of wins, with 20 runners, including Michael Halford’s Start Line and the Johnny Feane-trained No More Porter, in contention for the Dubai Duty Free Handicap over eight furlongs.

The day’s finale is the Dubai Duty Free Handicap over 10 furlongs and Johnny Murtagh saddles another hat-trick seeker in the shape of Chicago Bear which is up against fellow recent winners, the Brian Duffy-trained Magic Chegaga and Jim Bolger’s Daylight Come in the 13-runner affair.