Trained by Aidan O’Brien, the bay son of Dubawi was an impressive two and a quarter length winner over his stable companion Lambourn.

The winner, narrowly beaten by Hotazhell in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes at Doncaster last season, ran on well in the dying stages of today’s classic trial, to suggest he will get further than today’s one mile two furlong distance.

Lambourn (9/1), winner of a listed contest at Craon last season and bred by the Coolmore partners, came home late to claim the second spot under Ronan Whelan, while debut Dundalk scorer Tiberius Thunder (12/1) was third for Adrian Murray and rider David Egan.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Henri Matisse

Henri Matisse (6/4 favourite) won the Ballylinch Stud ‘Red Rocks’ Stakes for Ryan Moore.

Last season’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner, was a little off the pace for most of the race, before making his move on entering the home straight.

With his stable companion Commanche Brave and the Adrian Murray-trained Arizona Blaze taking the field into the straight, with Hazdaan on the outside bidding to give Dermot Weld, Chris Hayes and the Exors of the late H H Aga Khan a quick Leopardstown double, Henri Matisse found a break in between rivals.

Once Moore asked the son of Wootton Bassett to make his move, the three-year-old was brave, and ran out of a half-length winner over Commanche Brave, to give Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners a 1-2 in the Group 3 contest.

Arizona Blaze, prominent throughout the race, finished in third, another half a length behind the runner-up.

O’Brien and Moore later completed a treble with the victory of Serious Contender (9/4 favourite) in the 1888 Restaurant Handicap.

Swelter brings up Weld-Hayes double

Swelter (6/1) brought up a quick double for Chris Hayes and Dermot Weld when winning the Ballylinch Stud ‘Priory Belle’ Stakes (Group 3).

On only her second racecourse appearance, the daughter of Juddmonte stallion Kingman, had a length and a quarter in hand on the race favourite, Exactly (5/6), at the line.

A mile maiden winner over the course last July, the winning trainer admitted his concern today that the race might be too sharp for her at seven furlongs.

Exactly, twice placed at Group 1 level during her juvenile season, passed the winning post second, a length and a quarter behind the Juddmonte-owned winner. The Ryan Moore-ridden runner-up had a half-length advantage over Joseph Murphy’s runner, Cercene (28/1) at the line.

Half-sister to Tahiyra wins on debut

Tariwa (4/7 favourite), a close relation to Tarnawa won the opening ‘Look De Vega’ At Ballylinch Stud Fillies Maiden for trainer Dermot Weld.

Ridden by Chris Hayes for the Exors of the Late H H Aga Khan, the three-year-old chestnut daughter of Lope De Vega, also related to Tahiyra, was a length and three-quarter winner on her debut this afternoon.

Noli Timere (12/1), from the Michael O’Callaghan yard, was runner-up under Colin Keane, while Made U Blush (18/1) was another three-quarters of one length further back in third, in the hands of Billy Lee.

The consistent Dark Viper (5/1) won at the twentieth time of asking when claiming The Legacy Wine Bar Handicap at 4.55pm, in the hands of Shane Foley.

Trained by Jessica Harrington for owner Dan Kiely, the four-year-old bay/grey gelding by Dark Angel, had previously placed nine times without ever getting his head in front at the line.

Foley completed a double when winning the closing Sunday 11th May Family Day Handicap, when the Dick Donogue-handled Brains (4/1) took the one-mile contest.

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The Dermot Weld-trained filly claimed the first Group 1 of the Irish Champions Festival which takes places today at Leopardstown and on Sunday at The Curragh.

Ridden by Chris Hayes, the Aga Khan-bred and owned three-year-old was a length and a quarter winner over surprise England-trained runner-up Rogue Millennium, ridden by Danny Tudhope for trainer Tom Clover, as she notched up her fourth Group 1 victory.

The Paddy Twomey-handled, Billy Lee-ridden Just Beautiful came home in third place, a further half-length back.

Tahiyra was runner-up in the QIPCO 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, before winning Group 1s at The Curragh (Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas) and Ascot (Coronation Stakes).

“I didn’t want to get caught down the fence,” winning rider Chris Hayes after the win. “I just angled out behind Colin (Keane on Zarinsk). We were only out and I thought, ‘Oh God, I’m gonna get here an hour too soon.’”

Dermot Weld can look forward to an exciting autumn campaign with Tahiyra, who has tasted defeat just once in her six-race career. #IrishChampionsFestival pic.twitter.com/UxQKm8MnSo

— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) September 9, 2023

Tahiyra is a half-sister to triple Group 1 winner and 2021 Champion European Older Mare Tarnawa from stakes-winner Cape Cross mare Tarana.

The post Tahiyra wins Coolmore America ‘Justify’ Matron Stakes appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Ridden by Chris Hayes, the son of Dubawi held off the late fast finishing No More Porter (18/1, jockey Jamie Powell), with Robbie Colgan on Dunum a further three-quarters of a length back in third.

Thriller!

No More Porter was a willing nemesis but Coeur D'Or (14-1) would not be denied in the Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap – the feature race on day two of the @Galway_Races Festival

Dermot Weld's lightly-raced seven-year-old absolutely flies home for @chrishayes24 pic.twitter.com/bNpdmbreFB

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 1, 2023

The win was the first part of a double for Weld and Hayes, who took the Caulfield Industrial Irish EBF Maiden with the Moyglare Stud Farm-owned Livio Milo (5/2).

Willie Mullins, who achieved an opening night double on Monday, matched the achievement this evening when taking the opening two races on the card.

The least fancied of the Mullins runners in the betting market, Arctic Fly (12/1), won the Colm Quinn BMW Novice Hurdle for rider Seán O’Keeffe, while the 1/4f Sharjah, a six-time Grade 1-winning hurdler, made a successful chasing debut – at the age of 10 – in the Latin Quarter Beginners Chase under Paul Townend.

Six-time Grade One-winning hurdler Sharjah (1-4) makes no mistake on his chasing debut @Galway_Races

He might now be 10 years old, but there is surely much more to come from @WillieMullinsNH's fabulous stable stalwart on this evidence … pic.twitter.com/rvZR68UQNK

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 1, 2023

The good form of trainer Paddy Twomey and rider Billy Lee continued, thanks to Purple Lily (5/2f) in the Colm Quinn BMW Irish EBF (Fillies) Maiden.

Oh, that looked a good race

Purple Lily (Calyx) improved with every stride in the seven-furlong fillies' maiden @Galway_Races to deny fellow debutante Tannola by a neck @paddytwomey | @wjlee24786 pic.twitter.com/wSoYekIIiW

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 1, 2023

The caulfieldindustrial.com Handicap went the way of the Andrew Slattery-trained 7/2f Bells On Her Toes, while the Tuesday finale was won by the Make Believe gelding Complete Fiction (4/1jf) for Jarlath Fahy and Colin Keane.

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First Breeders’ Cup win for Weld

Dermot Weld won his first ever Breeders’ Cup race when Tarnawa won the $4 Grade 1 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf.

This is a third consecutive victory at the highest level for the Aga Khan filly. The home-bred rallied widest on the final turn, under Colin Keane, to win by a length from Magical.

The four-year-old daughter of Shamardal now has eight wins from 14 starts.

O’Brien trifecta in Breeders’ Cup Mile

Aidan O’Brien was also among the winners at Keeneland.

The Ballydoyle handler achieved the biggest surprise of the two-day event, saddling the 1-2-3 in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Order Of Australia, a 73-1 shot, took the win under Pierre-Charles Boudot, giving O’Brien his first victory in this race.

The winning owners are Anne Marie O’Brien, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Michael Tabor.

Order of Australia was a late confirmed runner in the race. The Irish horse only got a place in the race when One Master was declared a non-runner. Order Of Australia’s best-finish had been fourth-place in Group company.

The ultra-consistent Circus Maximus was a neck back in second, with Lope Y Fernandez achieving an O’Brien trifecta in third.

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