Last season’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner was making his 2025 return to the track under Ryan Moore.

Running over one mile and two furlongs, the Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old son of Camelot held off the late challenge of the 2024 Mooresbridge Stakes winner White Birch.

The runner-up was returning to the track for the first time since beating Auguste Rodin here last May.

Officer wins Tetrarch Stakes

The Coolmore Stud Henry Longfellow Irish EBF Tetrarch Stakes went to Officer, trained by Aidan O’Brien at Ballydoyle.

By Dubawi out of Hydrangea, the Ryan Moore-ridden colt was a previous seven furlong winner on good ground. He had finished third to Big Gossey on his most recent visit to The Curragh in March.

Wins for O’Brien brothers

O’Brien’s sons, Joseph and Donnacha, both visited the winner’s enclosure this afternoon.

The Group 3 Coolmore Stud Auguste Rodin Irish EBF Athasi Stakes was won by Atsila (11/1) for Gavin Ryan and Donnacha O’Brien.

Al Shaqab’s Andab (8/1) took the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden for Joseph O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle.

First Stakes win for Tally Ho’s Starman

Lady Iman (4/7 favourite) claimed the Holden Plant Hire First Flier Stakes in impressive fashion for Colin Keane, Ger Lyons and the O’Callaghans of Tally Ho Stud. This was a first Stakes winner for Tally Ho Stud’s sire Starman.

The Coolmore partners-owned debutant True Love, a full-sister to Truly Enchanting, was runner-up, one and a quarter lengths behind the winner.

Murkala (7/2 joint-favourite) took the Keadeen Hotel Irish EBF (Fillies) Handicap for trainer Johnny Murtagh. In the colours of the late H H Aga Khan, three year-old filly, ridden by Rory Mulligan, was a one length winner over the Aidan O’Brien-trained Sweet Chariot.

Jockey Wayne Hassett and trainer Pat Murphy teamed up for a winner with Free Solo (10/1) in the P G Duffy & Sons Citroen Apprentice Handicap.

The concluding The Treacy Group Supporting Newbridge Parishes Day Handicap went to 50/1 chance Prime Sign, in the hands of Billy Lee, for conditioner Andy Oliver.

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The previously unbeaten Kodiac filly maintained her 100% record when taking the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes over six furlongs, the highlight of an eight-race Saturday card at flat racing’s headquarters.

Sent off the 5/2 second favourite behind the Aidan O’Brien-trained son of No Nay Never, Whistlejacket (8/13 favourite), Babouche gave Tally Ho Stud stallion Kodiac an eighth individual Group 1 winner.

The Ballydoyle runner, Whistlejacket, in the hands of Ryan Moore was second, one and a half lengths behind the winning filly, with the Adrian Murray-trained, David Egan-ridden 16/1 chance Arizona Blaze coming home third, a length and three-quarters behind the runner-up.

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O’Brien, who has won the fillies’ Classic five times since 2006, will be represented by Epsom Oaks runner-up Ennistymon, together with Snow, Laburnum and Passion.

The recent Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly Stakes runner-up Cayenne Pepper will line up for Jessica Harrington, Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas-winning handler Ger Lyons will be doubly represented with Yaxeni and Even So, with Joseph O’Brien’s New York Girl the other runner in the 12-furlong feature race.

Seven two-year-olds will contest the Group 2 GAIN Railway Stakes at The Curragh on Saturday with Merchants Quay, Law Of Indices, Lucky Vega and To Glory among the contenders.

Joseph O’Brien’s Master Of Reality and Twilight Payment are among the six runners in the Group 2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup, along with his father Aidan’s Memorabilis, Camphor represents Jessica Harrington yard and the Luke Comer pair of Cypress Creek and Giuseppe Garibaldi complete the field.

In the Paddy Power Minstrel Stakes, Classic and Group 1 winner Romanised is one of seven declared runners, with Aidan O’Brien’s Lancaster House set to oppose the Ken Condon-trained horse who seeks to repeat last year’s victory in the Group 2 event.

A field of 17 runners go in the Kildare Village Ladies Derby, with the same number of runners in the Paddy Power Scurry. Nine two-year-olds will face the starter in the Irish Stallion Farms Maiden and 12 horses are declared for the Sentinel Ireland Equine Products Handicap.

A free interactive digital race card will be available to download at www.curragh.ie 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

RTÉ will televise four live races on Saturday, the Paddy Power Minstrel Stakes, GAIN Railway Stakes, Juddmonte Irish Oaks and Kildare Village Ladies Derby.

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Lordan claimed the opening two contests on Saturday with Serpentine and Buckhurst respectively.

Serpentine (5/2f) broke quickly in the Dubai Duty Free The Irish Village EBF Maiden and established an early five-length advantage, before the son of Galileo went clear to eventually win by a nine length margin for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Buckhurst (13/8f) took the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Jumeirah Creekside Hotel Alleged Stakes for Wayne Lordan and trainer Joseph O’Brien, in what was a disappointing field of three runners. He beat his stable companion Numerian by a length and a half with the race favourite Sir Dragonet from Ballydoyle in third.

Lordan completed his treble in the Group 2 Comer Group International Vintage Crop Stakes, doing it from the front again, as Joseph O’Brien’s Twilight Payment (15/8f) stayed on strongly to take the spoils.

Ancient Spirit (10/3) won the Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Celebration Stakes for Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley. The Listed Gain First Flier Stakes went the way of the highly-impressive Frenetic under jockey Colin Keane.

Charles O’Brien and Michael Hussey teamed up to win the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Handicap with Big Gossey (14/1), while Tipperary handler Denis Hogan’s Big Baby Bull (11/1) claimed the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Handicap for Joey Sheridan.

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13-time winner of the Premier Classic, Aidan O’Brien, will as usual ensure Ballydoyle plays a strong hand in the race, with six runners coming from the Co. Tipperary racing establishment. The recent Queen’s Vase winner at Royal Ascot, Santiago, looks to be the stable’s No. 1 candidate for the race.

Joseph O’Brien, a previous winner of the race with Latrobe in 2018, has declared the son of Kitten’s Joy, the unbeaten Crossfirehurricane, who is owned by American Scott Heider. The Pilltown-based handler has also supplemented fourth-placed Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas filly, New York Girl, to Saturday’s field, at a cost of €50,000. His third runner is the recent Curragh winner Galileo Chrome.

Jim Bolger, twice a winner of the mile and a half Classic, will be represented by Fiscal Rules, as the Wexford trainer attempts to add to the victories of St Jovite and Trading Leather.

Jessica Harrington, who won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last Saturday, bids to become the first female trainer to win the race with the recent Coolmore Ten Sovereigns Gallinule Stakes runner-up Gold Maze.

Four trainers will saddle their first runners in Ireland’s Premier Classic this weekend: Donnacha O’Brien, Emmet Mullins, Ger Lyons and Andy Slattery. O’Brien will be represented by Sherpa, Mullins has King Of Thrones in the race, Lyons has declared Chiricahua, while Slattery’s Sunchart will contest the feature of the three-day Curragh meeting.

Racing will be shown live on RTÉ on all three days: Friday from 7pm to 8pm, Saturday 6pm to 8pm and Sunday from 3pm to 5pm

Racing TV will show all races live over the three days. On Sunday ITV will show the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes and Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly Stakes. Fox Sports in the USA will show live coverage of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby for the first time, with the Green Channel in Japan also broadcasting the race live.

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Nickajack Cave (12/1) registered the first win of the day for Keane and Lyons in the Listed Saval Beg Levmoss Stakes as the grey Kendargent gelding made his move three furlongs out, before catching Twilight Payment (15/8f) a furlong and a half from the winning line. The winner had a length and a half to spare at the line.

Heliac (5/2f), in the Siskin colours of Prince Khalid Abdullah, won the Listed Noblesse Stakes, edging ahead of the brave Fresnel at the two furlong pole, eventually winning by a neck, with Loveisthehigherlaw a half-length back in third.

Keane rounded off his weekend in style, when winning aboard Athlumney Hall (12/1) for his father, Gerry, in the Leopardstown Handicap.

Dermot Weld had his first winner since the resumption of racing as he took the opening Leopardstown Fillies Maiden with the daughter of Siyouni, Eldama (2/1f), under Oisín Orr.

Aidan O’Brien produced a smart-looking colt in Napa Valley (11/8f) in the Leopardstown (C&G) Maiden for three-year-olds. A half-brother to former champion two-year-old filly Tiggy Wiggy, the son of Galileo was a three and a quarter lengths victor from Aztec Parade.

Dollar Value (18/1) was brave in winning the Holden Plant Rental Handicap under Niall McCullagh, with the five-year-old making all in the 12-furlong contest for trainer Tom McCourt.

Moll (9/4f) was a winning favourite on her handicap debut and first appearance for trainer Paddy Twomey in the Leopardstown Handicap for three-year-olds. Billy Lee won on the daughter of Camelot, with the rider completing a double when Andy Oliver’s Confidence High (11/8f) won for the second time in five days in the concluding seven-furlong Leopardstown Handicap.

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The unbeaten colt, in the colours of Prince Khalid Abdullah, overcame trouble in running as he found himself behind the leaders, on the rail, as the race was about to unfold.

Jockey Colin Keane kept his cool and showed great patience as he manoeuvred the eventual winner to the outside of the 11-runner field, allowing the son of First Defence show a blistering turn of foot in the closing stages.

Siskin, who had never run over the mile distance of the Guineas before, dispelled all doubts about his ability to stay eight-furlongs, as the 2-1 favourite powered on in the final half-furlong to win with a little in hand.

Vatican City, winner of a Dundalk maiden, was best of the Aidan O’Brien runners in the first Irish Classic of the season, coming home late to clinch the runner-up spot, a length and three-quarters behind the now dual Group 1 winner. Lope Y Fernandez, the more fancied of the Ballydoyle runners was third, another three-quarters of a length behind his stablemate, with another Coolmore-owned colt, Armory, in fourth.

The winning trainer said of today’s success:

“This means everything, it means 30 years’ hard graft for everybody – to win a Guineas was always my number one and hopefully it’s the first of many. That was hard work and full credit to Colin Keane. He was out there on his own today against a football team and him and the horse got it right. The horse is a legend and bailed him out.”

Colin Keane, who like Lyons was winning his first Classic, said of Siskin:

“He is a very straightforward horse. He got me out of trouble when I needed to quicken up, and put the race to bed. He’s a horse of dreams.”

Ger Lyons confirmed that the Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas victor will not travel to Royal Ascot next week and suggested the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood as a possible next target.

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