Irish horses to watch this weekend: Absurde returns to York for Grand Cup Stakes Royal Ascot is just around the corner, but there remains plenty of key racing action taking place before that extravaganza begins on Tuesday. Sandown and York are in the limelight on Saturday in the UK, while Sunday sees Chantilly boasting a double helping of Group 1 action, including the Prix de Diane for the fillies. We have picked out three Irish horses seeking to impress on their travels this weekend. bet365 Betting Offer If you already have a bet365 account, check out more of the best betting sites and online casinos Town And Country - Sandown, Saturday 2.40 The feature race at Sandown on Saturday afternoon is the Listed Scurry Stakes over the flying five-furlongs and Irish interest is provided by the Henry De Bromhead-trained filly Town And Country. The three-year-old daughter of Earthlight has figures of 122 in her three starts at the minimum trip and has shown improved form this year in twice taking silver medals at Cork, latterly in the Listed Polonia Stakes behind William Haggas' raider First Instinct. That winner wasn't denied far in a Group 3 at Haydock on her next start, while Babouche, behind in fourth at Cork, emerged to win the Group 3 Lacken Stakes at Naas since and is amongst the favourites for Commonwealth Cup glory at Royal Ascot on Friday. Colin Keane started off his role as retained rider for Juddmonte in perfect fashion with a win at Newbury on Thursday and the six-time Irish champ teams up with De Bromhead here ahead of a major week at Ascot for the pilot. Absurde - York, Saturday 3.00 It may be approaching high summer, with jumps racing far removed from centre stage, but that won't prevent Willie Mullins from enjoying his share of success. The Closutton behemoth enters the weekend with 15 winners from his last 33 runners for a staggering 45 per cent strike-rate. Winner of the Ebor at York in 2023 and a Cheltenham Festival scorer in 2024, Absurde has run in a couple of Melbourne Cups and has been enjoying a good time of it this spring. He was third in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham then readily won the Sussex Champion Hurdle at Plumpton in April. Back on the Flat at Chester in May, he was a close third in the Ormonde Stakes (1m5½f, good) behind Ascot Gold Cup favourite Illinois. That contest is off the agenda for Absurde, who will instead return to the Knavesmire for the first time since his 2023 Ebor victory as he targets the Listed Sky Bet Race To The Ebor Grand Cup Stakes over the same course and distance. He faces four rivals and will be partnered for the second time by Danny Tudhope. They were Listed scorers at Chester in August last year in a similar event to this York test. Bedtime Story - Chantilly, Sunday 3.05 Aidan O'Brien sends both Bedtime Story and Merrily to France on Sunday for the Group 1 Prix de Diane Longines, with Ryan Moore on the former and Derby-winning pilot Wayne Lordan on the latter. Both Ballydoyle fillies' made their seasonal reappearances in last month's French 1000 Guineas. Bedtime Story (14/1) finished sixth, while Merrily (40/1) trailed in last of 13 as Zarigana just about justified favouritism following an intervention from the stewards' room having passed the post a short-head behind She's Perfect. Bedtime Story won her first four starts last season as a juvenile, including the Chesham at Royal Ascot (7f, good to firm) very impressively before adding Group-race wins at Leopardstown and the Curragh. She has come up a little shy in elite company in three runs since, two of them at Longchamp, and now returns to the continent for this first attempt beyond a mile.
