As the summer continues apace, there’s more from the Curragh and Newbury races on respective sides of the Irish Sea on Saturday, 16 August. In the Emerald Isle, the Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes supported by the official Irish St Leger Trial takes centre stage, while in Berkshire the Group 2 Hungerford Stakes for seven-furlong specialists tops the bill.
Los Angeles returns from a break at the Curragh with the welter burden of 10st on his back. Aidan O’Brien has an autumn campaign planned for his older middle-distance star which culminates in the Arc. Whether Los Angeles remains at home for Leopardstown’s Irish Champion Stakes or turns out quicker for a Longchamp trial in the Prix Foy remains to be seen.
Rock Of Cashel has pacemaker duties, Galen returns to the scene of his last win and Johnny Murtagh runs a couple in the Aga Khan Studs silks. In the Irish Leger Trial, meanwhile, useful dual-purpose horse Absurde faces four rivals. Two of those represent Joseph O’Brien, but there’s also a Ballydoyle three-year-old lurking in Puppet Master.
At Newbury, the Hungerford Stakes features Jersey Stakes second Spy Chief and the penalised shock Lennox Stakes scorer Witness Stand among its field of 10. Lightly-raced progressive types More Thunder and King’s Gamble are in there too, alongside Fred Darling heroine Duty First and some older fillies. Half-a-dozen contest the Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes earlier on the card including three three-year-olds and Yorkshire Cup runner-up Epic Poet.
Plenty of good horses for our experts to ponder, then. We’ve had them leafing through the form book for their analysis of all this action. Always keeping an eye on value prices with online horse racing bookies, learn who caught our experts’ eyes and why below.
Curragh & Newbury Races Preview for Saturday, 16 August
1:50 Newbury – 1m 5f 61y Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes
PINHOLE wins comfortably in the Royal Ascot Winning Breeders’ Handicap Stakes with @Rossaryan15 in the saddle for @RalphBeckett and @JuddmonteFarms pic.twitter.com/VlfVcr4qAJ
— Ascot Racecourse (@Ascot) July 25, 2025
In receipt of 9lb weight for age from their elders, it’s no wonder that three-year-olds have won four of the last six editions of this. Choosing between the younger generation is difficult, but first-time cheekpieces worked wonders on Juddmonte’s PINHOLE as he bolted up in handicap company at Ascot last month. Ralph Beckett saw his charge leave a disappointing display at the Royal meeting well behind him.
Precious little separates Pinhole from contemporaries Furthur and Nightime Dancer on official figures, however. Andrew Balding trains the former, but he failed spectacularly to build on his Queen’s Vase second when tailed off behind the latter in the Bahrain Trophy in this grade at Newmarket last time.
Richard Hannon has always held Nightime Dancer in high regard, but he was no match for subsequent Goodwood Cup hero Scandinavia during the July Festival and the third home let the form down at Goodwood. Bigger dangers to the selection could come from his elders, then, and Epic Poet who needs producing late tops them.
The concern with the David O’Meara six-year-old is the stable’s poor record at Newbury races in general. Epic Poet also has a habit of finishing placed a lot. Candleford hasn’t proven himself beyond a mile-and-a-half, meanwhile, but William Haggas’ charge should confirm Goodwood placings with Ambiente Friendly who, having been gelded, could end up over hurdles this winter.
3:00 Newbury – 7f TPT Fire Handicap (0-100)
Advised by the Major at 16/1 Leadman wins nicely for Rossa Ryan and David O’Meara. This consistent ex Juddmonte owned gelding obliges for the first time on his 10th career start. I’m going for a pint🍺🍺🍺 pic.twitter.com/qNVKcaCbN1
— MajorDickie’s FREE TIPS (@dickie_major) July 11, 2025
Despite those above worries about the yard’s runners at this venue, LEADMAN looks worth a wager in a trappy. This lightly-raced five-year-old for O’Meara looks worth another chance off 5lb higher than his Newmarket win last month. Leadman beat an in-form Up The Pace and subsequent Stewards’ Cup hero Two Tribes on that occasion, so it looks a smart piece of form.
Punters should forgive him a no-show at Goodwood when hampered early on and this more conventional straight course should see him in a better light. Stall 1 could be either a plus or minus on the draw bias front. Cases can be made for plenty of others at Newbury races, however, but it’s worth noting ante post favourite Classic does best uphill at Sandown.
Jumby remains well-treated on the pick of his old form for Eve Johnson Houghton, but last week’s gamble dried up overnight and he only ran third again at Headquarters. Others appeal more and topweight Cracking Gold could go well. Clive Cox’s charge has another 3lb rise for a narrow Goodwood defeat after a re-opposing Newmarket runner-up turned the tables on him in another close finish.
Charlie Hills’ Cogitate is a frustrating horse to follow, yet he’s next to bottom weight apart from a 12-year-old, and one of only three course and distance winners in the line-up. The stable just isn’t having a good season, however, but Billy Loughnane is back on board. Havana Pusey looks in the grip of the handicapper, but she’s another prominent in the betting for John Gallagher.
3:27 Curragh – 1m 2f Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes
Zahrann is a hold-up horse, but Murtagh knows what it takes to saddle the winner of this. Even if his own pacemaker doesn’t take him far enough into the race, Rock Of Cashel has similar duties earmarked for him in the Ballydoyle camp. Los Angeles is the biggest threat, but third best is the other course and distance winner in the line-up, Galen.
Joseph O’Brien took the Alleged Stakes with him here in the spring when he made all and beat subsequent Coronation Cup winner Jan Brueghel. Galen now meets Los Angeles off 2lb better terms from the Mooresbridge Stakes, another course and distance event where he couldn’t repel the Ballydoyle big gun. A mark of 99 leaves Amo Racing’s Crypto Force some way short of the required standard.
3:35 Newbury – 7f Group 2 Hungerford Stakes
If King’s Gamble strips fitter for Clipper Logistics and Beckett, however, then he could well be a bit of value stepped back up in trip. This lightly-raced four-year-old Kingman colt has just six career starts under his belt, so there could be more to come from him. Haggas has one of the biggest dangers in favourite More Thunder, who now steps out of handicaps into Pattern company.
He won the Bunbury Cup by a whisker and that second Heritage Handicap success of the campaign prompts connections to try Group races. Spy Chief looks the pick of three-year-olds, meanwhile, as John & Thady Gosden’s charge chased home Noble Champion in the Jersey and steps back up in trip after running seventh in the July Cup.
That odd Newmarket race won by a rank outsider demanded more of the Godophin runner than this assignment in a lesser grade. Duty First landed the Fred Darling here, but hasn’t backed it up since. Another course and distance winner Witness Stand concedes weight all-round, including a 3lb penalty and 5lb weight for age to the three-year-olds.
Of the others, Fair Angellica shaped with some promise when denied a clear run and keeping on into fourth in the Hackwood. She didn’t build on that when stepped up to this trip by Richard Hughes in the Lennox Stakes won by Witness Stand, however. The remainder are on the comeback trail or have questions to answer at this level.
4:37 Curragh – 1m 6f Group 3 Irish St Leger Trial
Ballydoyle are pulling all the strings!
Puppet Master beats stablemate Stay True to clinch the William Hill Lingfield Derby Trial Stakes 🥇#ITVRacing | @LingfieldPark pic.twitter.com/Pft0bX9mAY
— ITV Racing (@itvracing) May 10, 2025
Receiving 9lb all-round is a persuasive argument for backing PUPPET MASTER to bounce back from a poor display in the Irish Derby here. Aidan O’Brien has saddled five different three-year-olds to victory in the race formerly known as the Ballycullen Stakes. In Puppet Master, he has the Lingfield Derby Trial winner who prevailed in a battle with stable companion Stay True.
Although he then missed Royal Ascot due to lameness, Puppet Master was a fancy for the King Edward. He now drops significantly in grade and has Ballydoyle stable jockey Ryan Moore back in the saddle. Given that he only managed fourth in this race 12 months ago, Absurde is probably using this as a prep run again to bring him on for another tilt at the Melbourne Cup.
By his own exalted standards, Willie Mullins’ string isn’t in brilliant form either. It falls, then, to Joseph O’Brien to provide threats to the old man. Uxmal is much the better of his on ratings. He hadn’t run for almost 400 days when trailing in last over course and distance in the Curragh Cup, but should strip fitter for his reappearance now.
Leinster hasn’t seen out his handicap races over further in England the last couple of times, leaving him with something to find at this level. The trickiest horse to assess here is Amo Racing runner Dallas Star. If reproducing his Leopardstown second to retired staying great Kyprios in this grade, then Adrian Murray’s charge has a chance here, but he didn’t deliver in subsequent easier assignments.
