Irish Derby and Pretty Polly: Will it be a Group 1 double for O'Brien? With Royal Ascot out of the way, it's time for the Curragh to shine this weekend as the Irish Derby takes place on Sunday and the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes is staged on the Saturday. Here are two selections for the weekend. Fresh from his team's five winners at the Royal Ascot meeting, trainer Joseph O'Brien will be hopeful that his team can continue their fine form, and I believe that he will be able to claim the two Group 1 prizes on offer this weekend. Irish Derby, 4.35 Sunday Looking at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, I'm excited to see James J. Braddock on the racecourse again. He was an excellent third in the Epsom Derby, but I feel that he may have ruined his chances of a win in the famous race just with his behaviour in the parade ring before the race. It seemed like the occasion just got to him slightly, and maybe that was down to a bit of inexperience that he had, with not having too many runs throughout his career. So I'd be happy to see him use that experience wisely and then build on it to run a fine race here. He will be up against the likes of Christmas Day and Benvenuto Cellini, and although Benvenuto Cellini has gone into a short-priced favourite, I still think the value aligns with James J. Braddock, and he's the one you want to be on. He's a guarantee for the trip. I think if he behaves better in the preliminaries, that he will be a sharper horse, and I can just see this big galloping track suiting him, and it's also a track that he's won on previously when breaking his maiden tag last season. So I'd be extremely hopeful that James J. Braddock can sign off on what has been a magical couple of weeks for the Joseph O'Brien team, and he can add more Group and Classic glory to the stable. Pretty Polly, 3.55 Saturday Starting off with the Pretty Polly, we may see the return of Epsom Oaks winner Thundering On. She was an extremely impressive and easy winner of the Epsom Oaks when powering home under a brilliant, confident ride from jockey Dylan Brown McMonagle, and I fancy the filly to back up her Group 1 win with success here. Although she is taking a step down in trip, I actually feel that she is better at this distance, and she has everything that you want in a racehorse. She relaxes well, she travels, and when she's asked to quicken up, she duly obliges. It'll be interesting to see on final declarations who she faces up against, but I just feel her performance the last day indicated that she really is a filly on the up, and it might take something really, really special or out of the ordinary to beat her. She's been a model of consistency this season ever since she started her three-year-old campaign, and although facing defeat in Leopardstown, she used that experience to win in Navan in an Oaks trial before claiming the famous race in Epsom.
