Andrew Nelis racing

Denis Hogan is plotting a path via Saturday’s Curragh Sprint Stakes for his consistent gelding Make A Challenge. The five-year-old is due to line up in the Listed six-furlong contest as he prepares for future Group One engagements. Twice a winner this season after clocking up six successes last term, the son of Invincible Spirit was last seen coming home just a length behind A’Ali in the Group Two Holden Plant Rentals Sapphire Stakes. Hogan now has his eye on a handful of top-flight sprints and is hoping this weekend’s run will serve as the perfect preparation. “We’re looking forward to it,” he said. “He’s just had a freshen up since his last run, I suppose we’re aiming for the Flying Five at the Curragh on Champions Weekend, on September 13. “These are all stepping stones for there really. Speak In Colours will be hard to beat, but he’s beaten him this season already. We’re not expecting to just turn up and win or anything, but we think it’ll bring him on for the Flying F...

Racing is set to go ahead as planned at the Curragh on Sunday despite local lockdown measures being imposed in County Kildare. The Group One Keeneland Phoenix Stakes is the highlight of an eight-race card at the venue and Horse Racing Ireland are not anticipating any issues after Ireland’s premier Micheal Martin announced a regional lockdown in counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly following a surge in coronavirus cases. The revised measures, which will apply from midnight for two weeks, include restricting movement within the counties, with the exception of work purposes and other essential journeys; closure of restaurants and pubs serving food, apart from takeaway services, deliveries and limited outdoor dining; and the closure of indoor entertainment and sport venues such as cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries and bingo halls. However, HRI chief executive Brian Kavanagh reports racing to be unaffected. He said: “We have had confirmation racing can continue behind closed door...

Connections of Siskin have yet to firm up plans for his next appearance after the Ger Lyons-trained colt suffered a first career defeat at Goodwood last week. The Irish 2,000 Guineas hero was the clear favourite to claim his sixth win from as many starts in a vintage renewal of the Sussex Stakes, but had to make do with minor honours in third behind the impressive Mohaather. The Khalid Abdullah-owned son of First Defence is reported to be none the worse for his exertions and has a range of options open to him...

The Lir Jet and Ventura Tormenta both feature in what looks like being a top-class renewal of the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday. Middleham Park Racing have added the Richard Hannon-trained Ventura Tormenta to the Group One feature at a cost of 20,000 euros after his short-head success over The Lir Jet in last month’s Prix Robert Papin. The Michael Bell-trained The Lir Jet had previously beaten Hannon’s charge when winning the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot – on what was Ventura Tormenta’s debut – and is set to be in opposition again at the weekend. Hannon said: “Middleham Park were keen to take the race on because the Morny was already looking over-subscribed. I think this was a good opportunity for the horse to have a crack at a Group One. He has come back from France well and has never looked better. “He has put on weight and the whole experience of France will have done his confidence a lot of good. I think the track at the Curragh will suit him ...

Ken Condon's Thunder Beauty went into plenty of notebooks after landing the two-year-old fillies' maiden on debut at the Curragh. The daughter of Night Of Thunder attracted plenty of support this morning as her price halved from 16/1 to 8/1 before going off 12/1 at the track. She broke smartly in this big field of 17 runners over six furlongs and was well to the fore under Billy Lee. She had front-running Moon In Her Eye and Allagar well within range at halfway and readily tanked into the lead when asked for more by Lee over a furlong out. Harannda challenged her inside the final furlong, but Thunder Beauty always looked to have her measure and went on by a length and three quarters. The winner had to survive a stewards enquiry, though, as she edged left and tightened up Harannda approaching the final 100 yards...

Last year's winner Magical is the star attraction among six horses declared for the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on Sunday. Aidan O'Brien's mare was a brilliant winner of the 10-furlong Group One last season and was last seen adding a fifth top-level success to her record in the Pretty Polly Stakes four weeks ago. Magical also had the option of taking on old foe Enable in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot on Saturday, but connections elected to keep her at home and she will be red-hot favourite to become the first horse to claim back-to-back renewals of the Tattersalls Gold Cup since So You Think (2011 and 2012)...                     Andrew Nelis Racing 

Cayenne Pepper bids to provide Jessica Harrington with her second Classic success in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh. While better known for her her exploits over jumps thanks to the likes of dual Queen Mother Champion Chase winner Moscow Flyer and Cheltenham Gold Cup hero Sizing John, the Moone-based trainer has become an increasingly powerful force on the Flat in recent seasons. Two years ago Harrington made a Classic breakthrough, landing the Irish 1,000 Guineas with the brilliant filly Alpha Centauri – and she now has high hopes of adding the Irish Oaks to her glittering CV on Saturday...                         Andrew Nelis racing 

Last year's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Sovereign returns to action for the first time since his finest hour in the Comer Group International Vintage Crop Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Galileo colt faces seven rivals in the Group Three contest, having last been seen causing a 33-1 upset for Classic glory. Ridden by Padraig Beggy, Sovereign bowled along at the head of affairs and showed no signs of stopping to beat Investec Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck by six lengths, having been well behind his stablemate at Epsom.                          Andrew Nelis racing 

essica Harrington has had her horses in sparkling form since racing resumed and is planning to let Gold Maze take his chance in Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh. A son of 2015 Epsom Derby and Arc winner Golden Horn, he was third in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes behind subsequent Vertem Futurity runner-up Innisfree on his second and final outing as a two-year-old. On his first outing of 2020 he was headed inside the final furlong when running second to another Irish Derby possible Crossfirehurricane in the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes back at the Curragh earlier this month..                        Andrew Nelis Racing  

The Curragh have announced new sponsors for two of their biggest summer events with the Irish Oaks set to be sponsored by Juddmonte and Al Wasmiyah Stud announced as the new sponsors of the Pretty Polly. The move sees Kerrygold's backing of the fillies' Classic cease after one season, with a reduced prize fund of €250,000 for 2020, having been worth €400,000 last year. The Irish Oaks, won by the magnificent Enable in 2017, will take place on July 18, and Curragh chief executive Pat Keogh admitted that it was a terrific boost to have Juddmonte come on board as a Classic sponsor during such extraordinary times. Keogh said: "We are very grateful to His Highness Prince Khalid and the team at Juddmonte for their generous support of the Curragh. These are very challenging times for all of us and having a great name like Juddmonte sponsoring the Irish Oaks is a great vote of confidence for Irish racing." Al Wasmiyah Stud, owned by Hamad Bin Ali Al Attiya and his fam...

Brant Dunshea, the British Horseracing Authority's chief regulatory officer, expects to keep in close contact with the Government in order to ensure the sport's continued compliance with measures designed to combat coronavirus. Racing resumed behind closed doors at Newcastle on Monday, with the BHA having issued a 33-page protocols document with which participants must comply.

Tattersalls Gold Cup switched to July in Irish reshuffle July 26 event will be open to three-year-olds. Tuesday 19 May  2020 News Share this         tote Get a £10 risk-free first bet This year’s Tattersalls Gold Cup will be open to the Classic generation when it is run on a revised date in July, Horse Racing Ireland has announced. The Group One event is usually for four-year-olds and over when it is contested during the Irish Guineas meeting in May, but following the delayed start to the 2020 Flat campaign due to the coronavirus crisis, it has been moved to July 26 to fill “a significant gap in the revised Pattern”. The Tattersalls Gold Cup and the first Classics of the year – the 1000 and 2000 Guineas, are the only Group One events to have new dates in the calendar, will all other top-level contests remaining in their usual slots. HRI intends to run a full complement of Group races through the year, but the Irish two-year-old...