Irish Derby Festival: Key Tips For This Weekend The Irish Derby Festival takes place at the Curragh this week, from Friday until Sunday, with lots of exciting handicaps and group-race action building towards the Irish Derby itself on Sunday afternoon. It should make for a fantastic three days at the home of Irish Flat racing and we've picked out a trio of runners that could potentially be worth looking out for. BoyleSports Betting Offer If you already have a BoyleSports account, check out more of the best betting sites and online casinos Barrogstown Girl (Apprentice Derby Handicap, Friday 8.00) Local trainer Jarlath Fahey could have a solid contender in the Apprentice Derby in the form of his mare BARROGSTOWN GIRL. The daughter of Elusive Pimpernel has 13 starts under her belt now, including three wins and three placed efforts along the way. Her wins all came last summer over 1m1½f-1m3½f at Limerick, Clonmel and here at the Curragh. She progressed from winning off a mark of 51 in July to scoring her final success off 66 in October. She appeared to need her comeback run at Navan in April but has since run good races in defeat at Roscommon and Limerick upped to this sort of trip. The latest of those saw her finishing second-best behind God Of Thunder, with the Denis Hogan-trained winner taking advantage of a lenient mark on the Flat in what was just his second run in this code since leaving Richard Hannon last year. Barrogstown Girl isn't exposed over this trip and could be an interesting contender for the Apprentices' big race on day one of the meeting. Scorthy Champ (Dubai International Stakes In Honour Of Kevin Prendergast, Saturday 2.55) This Group 3 contest will be run in honour of Kevin Prendergast and it could be a time to side with Joseph O'Brien's SCORTHY CHAMP, as the Mehmas colt potentially goes beyond a mile for the first time. He's had only five runs and the highlight was last year's win here over 7f in the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes when he defeated Henri Matisse, amongst others. He was fancied by many for the Guineas at Newmarket on his seasonal return but finished seventh, beaten 7½-lengths, before finishing sixth in the Irish version here soon after. That most recent Curragh run was a hint that perhaps it's time for a step up in trip and the extra two furlongs here could be key as he prepares to take on his elders for the first time. Pride Of Arras (Irish Derby, Sunday 4.10) The first three home in the Derby moved a step closer to a rematch with Lambourn, Lazy Griff and Tennessee Stud all named among 10 confirmations for Sunday's Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh. They'll represent Aidan O'Brien, Charlie Johnston and Joseph O'Brien respectively. Lambourn's only victory from three starts in Ireland came when making a successful debut at Killarney last July and he finished last of five in the Beresford Stakes on his sole previous start at this venue, so he's far from certain to repeat his Epsom wins and odds-on quotes are hard to take. PRIDE OF ARRAS was sent off the 4/1 second favourite for the Derby after winning the Dante Stakes at York in May but beat only one of his 17 rivals. Not much went right for him. He got a bump early doors, had to race wide, pulled too hard and was hampered in the home straight. His race was run by the time they round Tattenham Corner and it's an effort probably best overlooked. Beckett was certainly of that opinion. "It [looked] as if Pride Of Arras didn't come down the hill. He came on the bridle at the top of the hill but then he was on the wrong leg and it was the wrong way round so it was all over," said the trainer. Beckett's son of New Bay will get the chance to make amends in a race his trainer won with Westover in 2022 and if he can get back to the form of his Knavesmire win, he could turn things around dramatically.
