MASTER TRAINER: Aidan O’Brien has withdrawn Maybe and Was at the Curragh(Inpho)
By Sean Goff | Sports writer
The three-day Curragh festival ends on Sunday with the Pretty Polly Stakes (4.20) taking centre-stage.
Aidan O’Brien relies solely French Oaks seventh Up in the Group One contest as Was and Maybe were withdrawn due to ground conditions.
The Ballydoyle trainer’s wife Ann-Marie tweeted earlier: “Maybe and Was are both non runners at the Curragh today due to ground conditions.”
Dermot Weld’s Famous Name (3.45) goes for this third win in four years in the Friarstown Stud International Stakes and while the colt has won on soft ground
his best form usually comes on better going.
Paul Deegan’s mare Midnight Soprano (5.25) has won her last five races on the trot and will be fancied in the Group 3 Curragh Cup. Conditions should suit as she was a game winner of the Saval Beg Stakes over this trip on heavy ground at Leopardstown last time out.
John Oxx’s Saddler’s Rock was second that day before finishing a creditable third at Royal Ascot in the Gold Cup although Gulf of Naples just a length behind Saddler’s Rock ran poorly in bad ground at Newcastle on Saturday afternoon.
David Wachman has won the last two runnings of the Group 3 Grangecon Stud Stakes and the stable’s first choice True Verdict (3.10) looks the likely favourite to
make it a hat-trick of wins for the trainer
Aidan O’Brien runs three newcomers in The United States (J O’Brien), Nevis (S Heffernan) and Vinson Massif (C O’Donoghue) in the opening Barronstown Stud 7f Maiden (2.10).
Heffernan has ridden the last two winners of this contest for Ballydoyle who launched Horatio Nelson, Duke Of Marmalade, Rip Van Winkle and Roderic O’Connor’s racing careers here in the past.
