Aidan O’Brien has a record seven wins in the Juddmonte Irish Oaks and three of the 13 fillies declared for this year’s edition. Chief among those is Royal Ascot winner Port Fairy out to land the Curragh Classic for her Ballydoyle and Coolmore connections. Injury-enforced retirement for Ezeliya leaves the 1m 4f Group 1 feature on Saturday, 20 July pretty open.
Port Fairy skipped the Epsom equivalent where Dermot Weld’s now absent star shone brightest. It proved a shrewd move after her second in the Cheshire Oaks during the May Festival on the Roodee. Giving Port Fairy, a filly by Australia out of a dam sired by Fastnet Rock, time paid off as she landed the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes in gutsy fashion off a strong pace.
Ballydoyle maestro O’Brien also saddles two others in the Irish Oaks with Pretty Polly Stakes third Content emerging as a leading contender and the choice of stable jockey Ryan Moore. The daughter of Galileo and sprint sensation Mecca’s Angel put two disappointing eighths behind her when stepping up to a mile-and-a-quarter at the end of last month.
All of the leading horse racing betting sites now prefer Content for Port Fairy, however, with the former trading at half her ante post price of 6/1. The latter has drifted from 7/2 out to 5/1 in a place, with the remaining O’Brien Irish Oaks entry Rubies Are Red at 66/1.
Mullins Maiden Winner Lope De Lilas Feared by Bookies
Big-spending owners Wathnan Racing showed no hesitation in purchasing Lope De Lilas off the back of a 10-furlong Leopardstown maiden success. This filly by Lope De Vega out of a Galileo mare represents Ireland’s top jumps trainer Willie Mullins, but connections have the Irish Oaks in their sights.
Lope De Lilas had a Group 3 entry on the Sunday of Irish Oaks Weekend, but forfeits that with the Classic her sole focus. Closutton master Mullins has pulled off some amazing feats of training, but this would rank right up there. Lope De Lilas has only had two career starts and could be anything.
Given her powerful connections, traders on established and new betting sites alike fear her. Lope De Lilas is as short as 4/1 with some bookmakers, but also available at 11/2 following final declarations if punters shop around. If it’s not one of Ireland’s top horse racing yards that claims Classic honours, then chances are a French trainer will instead.
Hernon & Menuisier Targeting Irish Oaks
While the race is poorer without Ezeliya, the filly who ran third behind her at Epsom – War Chimes – represents the best of that form here. Her handler, David Menuisier, has gone close in other European Classics after landing the German 2000 Guineas with Devil’s Point. A Frenchman who trains just 15 miles east of Goodwood, rain would be a plus for War Chimes based on her backend juvenile victory.
As a daughter of Summer Front out of a Muhtathir mare, the Irish Oaks mile-and-a-half distance should definitely suit. War Chimes ran a blinder at a 50/1 Starting Price in The Oaks and comes to the Curragh fresher than most. That explains why she is 9/1 this time around. Menuisier isn’t the only man from France targeting this race either.
Gavin Hernon has already sent Dare To Dream over to Ireland before when she ran third behind Content in a Group 3 at this venue in October. A Camelot filly out of a mare by Gold Away, she finished ahead of War Chimes when fourth in the Prix Saint-Alary. Although only fifth in the Prix de Diane, France’s equivalent of this, Dare To Dream didn’t look as though she had the gears for a mile-and-a-quarter.
She wasn’t beaten far on either occasion, so the longer trip of the Irish Oaks looks more like it. Dare To Dream is just ahead of War Chimes in the market at around 8/1. There should also be some British raiders crossing the Irish Sea for a tilt at this with €285,000 going to the winner and €95,000 for the runner-up.
Lava Stream Flies UK Flag
The shortest of those coming over from England is David O’Meara inmate Lava Stream after her neck defeat by Port Fairy in the Ribblesdale. This filly by Too Darn Hot out of Mastercraftsman mare Stream Song has definitely improved no end this term. Lava Stream only broke her maiden tag with a narrow nose victory around Ayr in October.
At that stage, a Classic contest like the Irish Oaks couldn’t have been further from the minds of connections, but the progress made is obvious. Lava Stream landed a Doncaster handicap on reappearance, then a Listed event at Goodwood and just couldn’t last home during the Royal meeting.
Close scrutiny of the pedigree might raise stamina doubts, especially with this being an away game in Ireland, but there’s an obvious reason why she’s a top-price 10/1 here. You Got To Me, fourth in The Oaks behind War Chimes, is the other filly crossing the Irish Sea for Ralph Beckett, but odds of 25/1 reflect her chances.
Hanalia Worth Her Place in Irish Oaks
16-1 winner of the Listed highlight!
Hanalia (Sea The Stars) swoops and finishes best of all up in class in the @alshiraaracing @IrishEBF_ Naas Oaks Trial for @BenCoen2 and @JohnnyMurtagh pic.twitter.com/dB8h8hxXju
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 26, 2024
Just as one Aga Khan star filly is forced into retirement with Ezeliya, could another emerge? That’s what Johnny Murtagh hopes. Naas Oaks Trial winner Hanalia seeks a hat-trick on the upgrade in Classic company and needed every yard up the hill to get her head in front. From a good family of the owner-breeders, this daughter of Sea The Stars is another who should do better at a mile-and-a-half.
Hanalia has only three runs under her belt, so could still be anything. She is a 16/1 shot for Irish Oaks success, ahead of Noel Meade runner Caught U Looking. There’s no obvious reason why this Harzand filly should reverse Epsom form with either War Chimes or You Got To Me. Caught U Looking was behind both when fifth in The Oaks, yet is shorter than the latter here also at 16/1.
It is 20/1 and bigger bar those nine names, so the Irish Oaks could end up with a larger and more competitive field than last month’s Derby. Part of what makes Classics so appealing are some of the subplots and backstories to the horses. There are enough of those here for the race not to be all about O’Brien for once.
