Curragh Racecourse: preview and tips for Saturday’s eight-race card,

Curragh Racecourse: preview and tips for Saturday’s eight-race card, including The Curragh hosts an action-packed card on Saturday, with an eight-race offering for punters heading to the track with the feature race of the day being the Irish Oaks.

That fillies’ contest is off at 3.40, with the card getting underway at headquarters at 1.30pm and rounding off at 5.25pm.

Read below for a full rundown of the Curragh card courtesy of BoyleSports, who offer the latest Galway Festival odds for the showpiece meeting later this month.

Up first is a maiden contest for the two-year-olds over seven furlongs (1.30) and 15 runners are set for the off. It is perhaps telling that star jockey Ryan Moore gets the leg up on New Zealand here for trainer Aidan O’Brien, who has three in this race, with New Zealand taken to leave his debut seventh behind and go far better this time with a Group 1 entry on the horizon in the National Stakes. O’Brien is gunning for a fourth successive win in this race and could bag a one-two here with Action following home, a Frankel colt on debut that is closely related to double Derby winner this year Lambourn.

Three-time course and distance winner Heavenly Power looks the way to go in the second race of the day (2.00) as 16 runners tackle the six furlong Scurry Handicap. Ed Lynam’s runner is only up 1lb in the weights after an excellent second in a Cork handicap 36 days ago and is taken to get the better of the classy Big Gossey, who has won four times over course and distance and commands respect back in handicap company.

The Group 2 Railway Stakes is up next at 2.35 and a disappointing field number of four will line up, with the clear class of them being the O’Brien-trained True Love, winner of the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot 31 days ago and is going to be incredibly hard to beat here.

Hot on the heels of that is another Group 2 contest, the Sapphire Stakes (3.05) and Rumstar, a winner of a Group 3 at Sandown a fortnight ago, shades the vote here ahead of Temple Stakes winner Mgheera for British trainer Ed Walker, who has booked Ryan Moore to ride.

The feature race of the card, the Irish Oaks, is race five of the afternoon at the Curragh and a good field of seven will tackle the mile and a half trip and aim for the huge €289,999 top prize. That said, it should be a fairly straightforward assignment for Minnie Hauk, hailing from the all-conquering O’Brien yard, who can become his third English Oaks/Irish Oaks double winner after her victory at Epsom six weeks ago. Son Joseph can take the second spot with Wemightakedlongway, fourth behind Minnie Hauk at Epsom.

The third Group 2 contest follows at 4.15 with the Curragh Cup over the mile and three quarters trip, with preference heading the way of Al Riffa for Joseph O’Brien, a good second of 12 last time out in the Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot so holds a big chance on form, while the penultimate race of the day (4.50) can head the way of Extravagant for Aidan O’Brien, a bit green when third at Fairyhouse 43 days ago but has plenty more to offer than what he showed there.

Finally, the Saturday card at the Curragh comes to a close at 5.25 as a huge field of 21 head to the start for the fillies’ maiden over seven furlongs. The Dermot Weld-trained Tina’s Charm is certainly bred to be useful, a half-sister to a winner over a mile and another over a mile and a half, so could be the way to go on debut.

Curragh selections - Saturday 

1.30 - New Zealand 

2.00 - Heavenly Power 

2.35 - True Love 

3.05 - Rockstar 

3.40 - Minnie Hauk 

4.15 - Al Riffa

4.50 - Extravagant 

5.25 - Tina’s Charm