Sun Goddess, with Ryan Moore up, lost her Maiden tag at the Curragh, Credit Breandán Ó hUallacháin
Breandán Ó hUallacháin
Precise (4/1) gave Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners an Irish Guineas double at The Curragh when winning the fillies’ version on Sunday.
Precise overturned the Betfred 1000 Guineas form from Newmarket earlier this month when beating the winner of the British equivalent and stable companion True Love (4/6) at The Curragh Racecourse, County Kildare, Ireland, on Sunday afternoon.
Ridden by County Cork-born rider Wayne Lordan, who won the Newmarket 1000 Guineas aboard True Love, it was a fitting end to a very successful weekend for Ballydoyle trainer Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners.
Precise raced towards the rear of the 11-runner field in the early stages of the first fillies’ classic in Ireland of 2026. With the field splitting into two groups, race favourite True Love and jockey Ryan Moore were on the farside rail, with Precise and Lordan travelling in the centre of the track.
Abashiri (6/1), trained in Britain by Charlie Appleby and who finished fifth behind True Love at Newmarket, was prominent, along with the Paddy Twomey-handled 28/1 chance Black Caviar Gold.
True Love, who was Aidan O’Brien’s 49th British classic win when striking at Newmarket on 3 May, led narrowly inside the final furlong but did not have enough for her brave stable companion, as Precise, winner of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at The Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend last September, asserted, and stayed on well for a comfortable success.
True Love had a half-length in hand on the third-place finisher Abashiri at the wire, with Black Caviar Gold and jockey Billy Lee two-and-three-quarter lengths next home in fourth place.
The winning conditoner, Aidan O’Brien, who spoke to the media immediately post-race said of his winning filly Precise:
“She really stepped forward today. In Newmarket, she got tired, needed the run and Ryan (Moore, jockey) looked after her. Roger Quinlan, who rides her every day, said this morning that she was a different filly than the one going to Newmarket.”
It was a sixth success in the last 10 years for O’Brien in the Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas.
Aidan O’Brien Treble
The excellent form of Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore this weekend was evident at The Curragh on Sunday – day two of the Tattersalls Irish Guineas Festival.
The in-form combination took the opening race on the Sunday afternoon card when Sun Goddess (4/11 favourite) ran out an easy five-length winner, under hands and heals from Ryan Moore.
Carrying the colours of Coolmore partner, Derrick Smith, the daughter of Sioux Nation is now being aimed at Royal Ascot next month, with O’Brien stating:
“She could be an Albany (Stakes) filly if she knows enough, but Ryan (Moore, jockey) said she was still very green between the two and the one (furlong poles), but then she started to go again after that. This is a big rangy filly who will definitely improve plenty as she goes.”
The Group 3 Kilkea Castle Marble Hill Stakes over six furlongs – the first blacktype race on the seven-race card, saw Great Barrier Reef (8/15 favourite) in the same colours, complete a Ballydoyle double, running out a one-and-a-quarter length winner over stable companion and race pacesetter, Carry The Flag, who had beaten the winner of the first race, Sun Goddess, when the pair met recently at Naas.
Commenting on the race, Aidan O’Brien said:
“Ryan (Moore, jockey) said he was green in the stalls and that he missed the break, so he gave him a chance in the first part of the race. He said he flew home, but that he had to get hold of him and to teach him. If he comes out of this okay, we could let him go to the Coventry (Stakes at Royal Ascot.”
World’s Top Ranked Filly Defeated
The only setback for the O’Brien-Moore-Coolmore team over the weekend was the defeat of Minnie Hauk (4/6 favourite) in the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup.
Second in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, France, last October, the daughter of Frankel won on her 2026 seasonal reappearance here at The Curragh on 4 May.
Never seemingly travelling well in today’s one mile 2 furlong 110 yards contest, jockey Ryan Moore was easy on the four-year-old once her chance of victory had disappeared, eventually finishing in fourth place.
The three-pronged English-trained challenged soon claimed control of the race and eventually completed a 1-2-3 for the visitors.
Almaqam (13/2), who ran third to Calandagan in the Group 1 Qipco Champion Stakes on British Champions Day at Ascot last October, increased his lead inside the one-eight pole and went on for a two-length victory under rider Kieran Shoemark.
The Ed Walker-handled five-year-old son of Ballylinch Stud’s Lope de Vega was followed home by Bay City Roller (15/2), the son of another Ballylinch Stud stallion, New Bay – this one in the hands of Oisín Murphy.
Saddadd (18/5) and Ray Dawson finished third three-quarters-of-one-length behind the runner-up.
