Winner of the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy Stakes at Newmarket last month, Scandinavia needed every yard of two miles under Cork jockey Wayne Lordan, as he overtook the front-runner Illinois (7/4 favourite) close home after a sustained battle.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained duo were two and a half lengths clear of Sweet William (4/1). Sadly, the race was overshadowed by a fatal injury to 2021 winner Trueshan, who was pulled up sharply by Hollie Doyle mid-contest.

Scandinavia, a son of Justify, is the first three-year-old to take the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup since Stradivarius in 2017.

“He stays forever”

The successful handler, Aidan O’Brien, said of the winner:

“I am delighted. Wayne gave Scandinavia a brilliant ride. He ran a lovely race at Ascot when Wayne rode him, as he got trapped six wide all the way but he kept coming and coming, and then Ryan rode him at Newmarket and said he was a very good horse. He said he stays forever and is very classy.”

Discussing possible future race plans, the Ballydoyle trainer stated:

“The lads will make those decisions [about the St Leger and so on], but obviously Lambourn didn’t go to the King George because Jan Brueghel was going there, so he has his eye on the Voltigeur, and then he could go anywhere after that – to an Arc or a St Leger. All of those things are open, but I’d say this horse looks ready made for the St Leger as he stays forever, handled an ease in the ground here today, and is very straightforward.”

Another big win for Lordan

This year’s Betfred Derby-winning rider Wayne Lordan said of his most recent major victory:

“Credit to Scandinavia, he has improved all year. He was stepping up to two miles today against the older horses; it was a tough task, but I thought he stepped forward quite well.

“Illinois is a very genuine horse, a Group One horse, and this horse was stepping into his company today. He had never run in that company before, so today was going to find out how smart he is. Obviously, he is a very smart stayer.

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Winner of the Betfred Derby at Epsom last month under Wayne Lordan, the son of Australia  took Ireland’s premier classic in the hand of Ryan Moore on Sunday.

Trained at Ballydoyle by Aidan O’Brien, it was a 17th success in the race for the County Wexford-born trainer, it was his 15th win in the last 23 years.

His stable companion, Serious Contender (28/1), ridden by Gavin Ryan, gave him most to do, coming home just three-quarters of a length behind.

The English challenger, Lazy Griff (14/1) was third for jockey William Buick and trainer Charlie Johnston, two and a quarter lengths behind the runner-up.

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Second to her stable companion Minnie Hauk in the Betfred Oaks at Epsom, the Aidan O’Brien-trained filly out-battled the English raider and race favourite Kalpana (5/6) this afternoon.

Urged into the lead from the stalls by Ryan Moore, the daughter of Wootton Bassett, took the field along in the one mile two furlong contest.

When Colin Keane aboard Kalpana came to Whirl in the final furlong, it looked as though it was only a matter of time before the Andrew Balding daughter of Study of Man would claim her race.

"The ultimate racing machine, really."

Aidan O'Brien hails Pretty Polly winner Whirl and a fantastic spectacle in the Group 1 @paddypower-backed highlight at @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/i4VuqfyRbd

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 28, 2025

Whirl battled, however, when asked by Moore and was not for passing, completing a treble on the day for Aidan O’Brien, Ryan Moore and the Coolmore partners, but incredibly a three-timer also for Coolmore Stud stallion Wootton Basseett.

There was a length and quarter between Whirl and Kalpana at the winning line with a further length and three-quarters back to the French-trained Survie (18/1) in third in the seven-runner Group 1.

Group 1 glory!

Whirl strikes from Kalpana in a thrilling €300,000 @paddypower Pretty Polly Stakes for Ryan Moore, Aidan O'Brien and Ballydoyle @curraghrace pic.twitter.com/76Eys2rB3i

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 28, 2025

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British raiders look to extend their dominance in the Group 1 Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes this Saturday, as Kalpana lines up for Andrew Balding in a field of seven high-class fillies. The British-trained runner will be ridden by Colin Keane following a fine third in the Tattersalls Gold Cup last month at the same venue.

Trainer Andrew Balding was upbeat, saying: “She is a very high-class filly. While we think she might be even better over further, a mile and a quarter should suit her well – especially if the ground stays good.”

International Challenge

The French-trained Survie, a Group 2 winner, joins Kalpana as part of the international challenge. She will be ridden by Stéphane Pasquier for Nicolas Clément and Flo Hermans.

Irish Contenders

• Whirl – Aidan O’Brien’s narrow Oaks runner-up represents strong claims.
• Wemighttakedlongway – Joseph O’Brien’s filly bids to follow in the footsteps of Iridessa (2019) and Thundering Nights (2021).
• Magical Hope – Trained by 2022 winner Paddy Twomey.
• Jancis – Willie McCreery’s charge will be partnered by Ben Coen.
• Higher Leaves – Represents Henry de Bromhead and Shane Foley.

More Group Action on the Card

Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes: Six juveniles line up, including Ger Lyons’ Lady Iman (chasing a four-timer) and Aidan O’Brien’s Beautify, with Ryan Moore booked.

Group 3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai International Stakes: Elizabeth Jane runs for Dermot Weld with Chris Hayes aboard.

Group 3 Anglesey Stakes: Flushing Meadows heads a quality field that includes Stop The Nation and debut winner Suzie Songs.

Ladies Derby & Handicaps

• Sherry FitzGerald Country Homes Ladies Derby: Jody Townend (Tatateo) and Hannah Smullen (Desert Friend) feature.
• Fitzpatrick’s Mercedes-Benz Handicap: Recent winner Cold Hearted aims to follow up for Jessica Harrington.

Full Race Schedule – Saturday

• 1.15pm – Barronstown Stud Irish EBF Maiden
• …
• 5.15pm – Keadeen Hotel Irish EBF Maiden

Pretty Polly Stakes – Odds (Paddy Power)

• 6/4 – Whirl
• 9/4 – Kalpana
• 6 – Wemighttakedlongway
• 7 – Higher Leaves
• 12 – Jancis
• 14 – Survie
• 20 – Magical Hope

Going Update

Straight course: Good to firm in places
Round course: Good
Stalls: Centre for all sprint races

Admission & Bundles

• Saturday General Admission: €30 online / €35 on the day
• Sunday Premium Admission: €150 (Winning Line Lounge access)
• Derby Bundles: From €33 – includes admission, €5 bet, food voucher, racecard, afterparty access

Transport & Parking

Free shuttle buses from Newbridge & Kildare
Free parking at the Curragh Racecourse

Where to Watch

• Racing TV – Full coverage
• TG4 & RTÉ – Selected races live on Saturday and Sunday

Entertainment

• Friday – The Classic Beatles (afterparty)
• Sunday – The Whistlin’ Donkey’s (afterparty)

For tickets, discounts and more: curragh.ie/tickets

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It was also a first success in the race for Co Cork-born jockey Wayne Lordan and an eighth in the past 12 years for successful owners, the Coolmore partners.

Lordan and Lambourn, a son of Australia led from the stalls and, in the style of Serpentine in 2020, was not for catching.

He extended his advantage over the field as they came down the home straight.

The 50/1 chance in the betting market, Lazy Griff, was runner-up for trainer Charlie Johnston and jockey Christophe Soumillon three and three-quarter lengths behind the winner.

Dylan Browne McMonagle aboard Tennessee Stud, also owned by the same partners as the winner, finished third for Joseph O’Brien, a further length back.

“Everybody puts in so much”

Aidan O’Brien, for whom it was an 11th success in the Betfred Derby, said:

“I’m only a small part of a very big team. For everybody – everybody puts in so much, I cannot tell you. I can’t tell you the privilege it is for me to be dealing with everybody. Australia [Lambourn’s sire] is a great Derby winner, very genuine, and that’s what this horse is – uncomplicated, genuine and committed. He always has been.

“His runs this year have been very good this year – he was second to Delacroix, and then was very impressive in Chester. Chester again – you have to be on your game and you have to stay, and that’s the way he was. Ryan loved him in Chester and he obviously can’t ride them all. He’s probably an Irish Derby horse, and he will get further as well.”

“It’s a special place to win”

Wayne Lordan was asked by ITV Racing what it was like to win the Derby, with the Cork jockey admitting:

“When you’re growing up… I’ve been watching you (Johnny Murtagh), Pat Smullen, Mick Kinane, and it’s the race you always want to… Then when you get a ride in it, you’re absolutely delighted. I work for Aidan O’Brien, Ballydoyle, Coolmore, and when they give you the opportunity to ride a horse like this, in a race like this, and for him to do it… it’s a special race to win.”

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Ridden by Ryan Moore, the daughter of Frankel held off her stable companion, Whirl (15/2) and Wayne Lordan by a neck at the finishing line of the one mile four furlongs contest.

Whirl, a daughter of Wootton Bassett, had made most of the early running, setting the pace for the perceived stable number one choice, Minnie Hauk.

With both fillies battling inside the final furlong, Minnie Hauk found a little more to claim the Group 1 prize.

Whirl finished a further four lengths ahead of the impressive Betfred 1000 Guineas winner at Newmarket last month, Desert Flower, the 11/10 favourite today.

The win is the sixth success for the Coolmore partners since Minding won in 2016.

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Trained at Ballydoyle by Aidan O’Brien, the four-year-old was the first of a Group 1 double for the Co Wexford-born handler and jockey Ryan Moore with Minnie Hauk taking the Betfred Oaks later in the afternoon.

Jan Brueghel, who ran second to Galen over a mile and a quarter in the Group 3 tote.ie Alleged Stakes at The Curragh recently on his first racecourse appearance for 2025, won today over a mile and a half this afternoon.

Owned by the Coolmore partners, Jan Brueghel is a tenth Coronation Cup success for O’Brien, and it means that Galileo has now sired a Group 1 winner each of the last twenty years.

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Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Handicap (Premier Handicap)

Mr Percy (2/1) earned a place in the Sky Bet Ebor at York in August by winning the SkyBet Race To The Ebor Handicap over a mile and six furlongs.

Carrying bottom weight of 8 stone 7 pounds this evening, the Joseph O’Brien-trained son of Sir Percy had just a neck to spare at the line, under five-pound claimer, Wayne Hassett.

Jabbar (25/1), from the Ger O’Leary stable took the runner-up position, while the eight-year-old Helvic Dream (25/1) took third for Noel Meade and Dylan Browne McMonagle.

Sky Bet Handicap

The €50,000 Sky Bet Handicap (Premier Handicap) went to the Michael Grassick-handled Equiano filly Gazelle D’Or (14/1).

Ridden by Cork jockey Wayne Lordan, the Aidan Gleeson and Joseph Keeling-owned three-year-old had won three times previously from five to six furlongs.

Today, she held off Brigid’s Cloak (11/2) by a length, with Jorge Alvares (7/2 favourite) a neck further back in third for Ger Lyons and stable jockey Colin Keane.

Wootton Bassett Double

Two juvenile colts by Coolmore Stud’s sire of the moment, Wootton Bassett, won the first two maidens on the card.

Amadeus Mozart (10/11 favourite) took the opening SkyBet For The Fans Irish EBF Maiden for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore by half a length.

With three runners in the field from Ballydoyle, a Coolmore partners-owned horse filled the runner-up spot as well with the fast finishing grey Dorset (5/1) in the hand of Wayne Lordan.

The double was quickly completed in the next, the Businessplus.ie Irish EBF Maiden when Flushing Meadows (5/2) took the win.

The 80/1 outside The Piper’s Call, ridden by S T McCullagh, took the second post, one and a half-lengths behind the winner. North Coast (11/) and Dylan Browne McMonagle took third for Joseph O’Brien, while another Ballydoyle horse, Puerto Rico (10/1) claimed fourth.

Maiden winners for Harrington and O’Donoghue

The third maiden of the evening, The Spar Shop At The Curragh Maiden went to the Shane Foley-ridden Cold Hearted (5/1).

Placed in four of her seven previous starts, the Blue Point three-year-old filly got the better of a battle with race favourite Stella Alpina (10/11), by half a length, with the same distance back to Marlborough Place (7/2) in third.

The Gannon Interiors Fillies Maiden was won by It’s A Heartbeat (7/1) and Ronan Whelan, who has recently returned to action from injury.

Fourth on her racecourse debut at Naas in April, the daughter of Too Darn Hot was a two and a half-length winner for handler John O’Donoghue.

The second, Jannah Star (13/8 favourite), was another placing on the evening for the Dylan Browne McMonagle and Joseph O’Brien combination, while the well-fancied Tanoya (5/2) from the Paddy Twomey yard claimed third spot, a further two and half lengths behind.

The Sky Bet Extra Places Every Day went the way of Midnight Horizon (7/1) for handler Denis Hogan and rider Joey Sheridan.

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It was a second success in the race for trainer Aidan O’Brien who was previously successful with St Mark’s Basilica.

Ridden by Ryan Moore, Camille Pissarro was a half-length winner of the one mile two and a half furlongs French Derby.

The William Buick-ridden Cualificar (12/1), trained in France by Andre Fabre for Godolphin, took the runner-up spot.

John and Thady Gosden’s Detain, and Irish-bred owned by Juddmonte Farms, was third, a neck behind the second placer.

The other Aidan O’Brien runner- Trinity College (20/1), with Wayne Lordan in the saddle – who cut out most of the pace for Camille Pissarro, stayed on to finish fourth, a neck further behind.

Sired by Coolmore Stud’s Wootton Basseett, and owned by a Coolmore partnership, Camille Pissarro was a second French classic success for his sire, after Henri Matisse won the French 2000 Guineas last month.

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Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the Wayne Lordan-ridden son of Dubawi was a two and three-quarter length winner over the Dermot Weld-handled once-race Purview (11/1), in the hands of Chris Hayes.

Tennessee Stud, owned by the Coolmore partners just like the winner, was third for Joseph O’Brien.

Run over a mile and a quarter, the winner of The Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial last season, Los Angeles, went on to success in the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh last summer.

Roosevelt and Butterfly Wings win for Ballydoyle

The win for Delacroix was part of a treble for O’Brien and Lordan.

Roosevelt (7/1), last of 10 runners on debut at Leopardstown on 9 April, battled well under a Wayne Lordan drive to claim The Captain Dara Fitzpatrick Memorial Maiden for the Coolmore partners.

The win by the son of Frankel maintained the excellent recent form of Aidan O’Brien-trained horses. Delta (13/2), trained by Joseph O’Brien for Qatar Racing Limited, finished runner-up, a head behind the Ballydoyle-handled winner.

Butterfly Wings (2/1) was the final part of the treble, when breaking her maiden at the fourth time of asking in the It’s Family Day at Leopardstown Fillies Maiden.

Vera’s Secret takes Group 3 for Johnny Feane

Johnny Feane and Séamie Heffernan teamed up to win the Group 3 Al Shira’aa Racing ‘Mutamakina’ Stakes with Vera’s Secret (11/2).

The six-year-old daughter of Epaulette was to the fore from the stalls. She was not for catching on only the eight run of her career. She was going further away from the field as they hit the line, and had a four-length advantage in the end.

Vera’s Secret was followed home by Fiery Lucy (9/2) from the Gavin Cromwell yard, with three-quarters of another length back to the grey Bella Isabella (12/1).

Murtagh and Coen double

Zodiac Bear (5/1) and Ben Coen won the opening FITZ AGRIPLANT Maiden for trainer Johnny Murtagh. Unplaced on his only previous outing, the three-year-old son of Kodi Bear ran out a three and a quarter length winner over Dermot Weld newcomer Eshermann (5/2). The twice third-placed Monkstown (9/4 favourite) was next home, half a length behind the runner-up.

Murtagh and Coen soon brought up a Leopardstown double with the success of Chicago Critic (14/1) in the Porsche In Support Of Breast Cancer Ireland Amethyst Stakes (Listed) over a mile.

Coming from the back of the six-runner field, following the later withdrawal of race favourite Diego Velazquez when getting worked up in the stalls, Chicago Critic showed a good turn of pace on his preferred good ground, to run out a length and three-quarters winner.

Cloud Seeker (100/30 favourite) was a winner for Andy Slattery and his jockey son Andrew, when having a neck advantage over Ceallach (16/1) at the finishing line in the Leopardstown Golf And Driving Range Handicap.

The concluding race of an eight-race card went to jockey Joey Sheridan on the Ger O’Leary-trained Mister Adam (7/2).

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