TimeformBlog

Timeform look back at the weekend's best racing...


The main event so far as British racing is concerned last weekend took place at Newcastle where Europe's most valuable staying handicap, the Northumberland Plate, went the way of the Reg Hollinshead-trained Tominator, who relished a truly-run race at two miles, travelling smoothly to beat Montaff by a length and three quarters. The card at Newcastle opened with the Group 3 Chipchase Stakes over six furlongs, which provided Roger Charlton's Genki with a first pattern-race success.

Newmarket also played host to a good-quality meeting on Saturday and the feature event there was the Group 3 Criterion Stakes over seven furlongs. The Richard Hannon-trained Libranno came out on top, showing a likeable attitude, though it must be said that things did work out ideally for him. The two listed races on the card were won by Lily's Angel and Jukebox Jury respectively, though perhaps more notable were the wins of Dominant, who looks ready for pattern company after producing a smart performance to win the Tattersalls Millions Cup, and Godolphin's Burj Nahar, who bolted up in the 10-furlong handicap on just his second career start.

Saturday's Group 1 action took place on the Curragh where Misty For Me won the Pretty Polly Stakes by six lengths from the odds-on favourite Midday, though she certainly benefited from a rather soft lead. The better performance in the other two pattern races on the card at the Curragh was that of the Ed Dunlop-trained Red Cadeaux, who won the 14-furlong Curragh Cup by nine lengths.

Back on the Curragh on Sunday, there's no doubting that the highlight was the Irish Derby, in which Treasure Beach, the runner-up in the equivalent race at Epsom, went one better to lead home a 1-2-3 for Aidan O'Brien, who was saddling his sixth successive winner (and ninth overall) of the race. Carlton House, who went off favourite, was somewhat disappointing, running a bit below his Epsom form to finish fourth.

Though the Irish Derby remained with the home team, the Richard Hannon-trained juvenile Lilbourne Lad struck for the British raiding party, winning the Group 2 Railway Stakes, and he'll reportedly have a Group 1 next on his agenda, probably the Prix Morny at Deauville.


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