Savethelastdance and Ryan Moore won the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at The Curragh this afternoon.
The victory of the Ballydoyle-handled filly gave her trainer Aidan O’Brien a record seventh success in the fillies’ classic over a mile and a half.
Winner of the Cheshire Oaks in May and runner-up in the Epsom Oaks last month, the daughter of Galileo battled hard with the English challenger Bluestocking, representing the sponsors, at the business end of the race.
With the Ralph Beckett-trained Colin Keane-ridden Bluestocking moving on in the latter stages of the contest, and looking as though she was set for victory, Savethelastdance fought bravely for Ryan Moore and came back to claim the win.
Another Ballydoyle runner, the pacesetting Library (80/1) took third place.
🗣️ “It was an incredible ride from Ryan.”
Great stuff with Aidan O’Brien following a fine day at the @curraghrace
✅ Henry Longfellow
✅ Emily Dickinson (Irish St leger)
✅ Savethelastdance (Yorkshire Oaks or St Leger)
👀 Kyprios on the comeback trail pic.twitter.com/rL7jBR6Rd8— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 22, 2023
The win of Savethelastdance was the middle part of a Curragh treble for O’Brien, Moore and the Coolmore partners.
The impressive newcomer Henry Longfellow set the ball rolling for the Ballydoyle team when claim the opening maiden.
A juvenile son of Dubawi out of the multiple Group 1 winner Minding, previously trained by O’Brien, the 5/4 favourite led home a 1-2-3 for O’Brien with Mythology (13/8) second and Master of the Hunt (13/2) in third.
😍 We’ve seen a good one here
Henry Longfellow (Dubawi) is out of multiple G1 scorer Minding & is poetry in motion on debut for team @Ballydoyle & Ryan Moore in the opener at the @curraghrace
A 1-2-3 for the Coolmore Partnership too! pic.twitter.com/d3zqyCn0eV
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 22, 2023
The Group 2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup was won by Emily Dickinson (6/4f) to complete the treble. The four-year-old daughter of Dubawi had finished fourth in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last month, but on softer ground today, which is more to her liking, she ran out an impressive three length winner over Paddy Twomey’s Rosscarbery (13/8) and Donnacha O’Brien’s Amusement in third.
🔥 A quickfire double for team @Ballydoyle!
🏆 G1 Irish Oaks – Savethelastdance
🏆 G2 Comer Group International @curraghrace Cup – Emily DickinsonA smart performance from this classy stayer in the hands of Ryan Moore pic.twitter.com/IRpzdGpDN7
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 22, 2023
