Who To Follow At The Curragh On Saturday - 22/07/23

James Mackie | @JMackieRacing

Fri 21 Jul 2023 08.31

Curragh 14:45

7(5)

Savethelastdance

J: Ryan Moore

T: A P O'Brien

N/A

Age: 3

Weight: 9-2

OR: 114

Days: 50

The feature race from the Curragh on Saturday is the Group One Irish Oaks and it looks hard to split the two Aidan O'Brien horses at the top of the market with Savethelastdance and Warm Heat both holding some serious form.

We are going with the former to get the job done with not much to split them but with Savethelastdance having a 20 day extra break she might just be fresher.

Seen just once as a juvenile when fifth of eight at Thurles over a mile in a Maiden, she was then put away for her three year old campaign.

Given her seasonal debut this term she made a huge impression at Leopardstown when stepped up to 1m2f and going on to beat stablemate Boogie Woogie by 2 1/4 lengths.

Boogie Woogie has since bolted up in a Fillies' Maiden at Naas and the third Azazat has also gone on to frank the form in a good way.

O'Brien then sent her to the Listed Cheshire Oaks at Chester and putting up arguably the performance of the season so far she went on to bolt up by 22 lengths, with her sectional times being outrageous.

She was last seen in the Epsom Oaks when going off the well backed 5/6 fav and she was narrowly beaten on quick ground by Soul Sister for John & Thady Gosden.

She looks a horse that needs cut in the ground and gets that again on Saturday and with Ryan Moore choosing her over Warm Heat, she just gets the nod.

Although his father Aidan O'Brien looks the obvious trainer to have a good day with numerous runners, Joseph has a smaller tam on the first day and some of his runners at big prices can go well.

In the opener he runs the twice raced Mythology who is looking to put it all together in the Maiden over 7f having put up two decent efforts so far.

O'Brien then fields the outsider in the Group Two Sapphire Stakes with Maria Branwell looking to outrun her odds and getting back to the form at the start of her juvenile career can see her do so.

In the feature Irish Oaks he has Lumiere Rock who ran a cracker behind Warm Heart at Royal Ascot and at an each way price again can hit the frame.

He then has Royal Ascot winner Okita Soushi in the Group Two Curragh Cup who steps up in grade but has proven his worth over this trip and can go close.

To finish the afternoon he fields Oligopoly in the Nursery Handicap and the first time tongue tie could be the key on handicap debut and then in the lucky last Coco Crush makes her debut for the yard being a well bred daughter of War Front.

O'Brien heads into the weekend sporting a strike rate of 21% for the last two weeks, managing to land six winners from his 29 runners.

Colin Keane is the current champion jockey in Ireland and has a lovely book of rides on the first day of the Oaks meeting at the Curragh.

Starting in the opener on newcomer Ocean Conquest that is a well bred son of Time Test that could throwdown a big marker on debut.

In the Group Three Anglesey Stakes he rides the second favourite Kairyu who is looking to keep her unbeaten record going having been a nice winner on debut.

He also rides the second fav in the Scurry Handicap with Albasheer for Archie Watson looking to get back to form on just his third run for the yard.

Go Athletico is an exciting ride in the Group Two Sapphire Stakes looking to land a hat-trick and in the Irish Oaks Bluestocking for Ralph Beckett is looking to reverse the form with Warm Heart.

Keane then teams up with Charles Byrnes on Run For Oscar in the Group Two Curragh Cup but will have to put up a career best off 101.

The rider finishes the afternoon riding Prince X J in the Nursery Handicap and Perfect Poise for Ger Lyons in the lucky last.