Prendergast Trio Bid For Moyglare Stakes Glory

Trainer Kevin Prendergast saddles three of the thirteen runners in the featured Moyglare Stud Stakes (Group One) at the Curragh on Sunday.

Successful in the race in 1973 with Milly Whiteway and again with Arctique Royale in 1980, Prendergast will be represented by both Miss Beatrix and Brazilian Bride, who finished third and fourth respectively behind Holy Roman Emperor in the Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes over the same course two weeks ago, while he also runs Dimenticata, runner up in the Robert H. Griffin Debutante Stakes at Leopardstown in late July. Trainer Aidan O'Brien is bidding for his fifth win in this prestigious race since the year 2000 and relies solely on the once raced Diamond Necklace, who was supplemented into the race at a cost of ?30,000 last Tuesday. Although finishing only sixth at Leopardstown on her debut, this well regarded filly is sure to step up considerably on that effort and must be respected.

Trainer Dermot Weld won this race in 1987 with Flutter Away and he has high hopes of another success with the very promising Supposition who is likely to head the betting market. A runaway seven length winner at Galway earlier this month, Supposition had earlier finished a close second to the classy Duke Of Marmalade and is sure to be a major player on Sunday. Jim Bolger has won this race on two occasions in the past (Park Appeal 1984 and Priory Belle 1995) and will be hoping that Gaudeamus can figure prominently. Successful in the Robert H. Griffin Debutante Stakes at Leopardstown in late July, she earlier scored in a listed event over this course and distance on Derby weekend and won't be far away. There are three English raiders set to take part with Jeremy Noseda's Simply Perfect, a close up third in the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot last month, likely to prove the biggest threat to the home team although Mick Channon's Silca Chiave has shown plenty of promise on her only two outings and cannot be ruled out in what should be a fascinating race.

On the same card, Mark Wallace's Benbaun heads a field of twelve in the Nolan & Brophy Auctioneers Flying Five Stakes, a race he won last year. Forced to miss the Nunthorpe Stakes at York on Thursday due to the soft ground, Benbaun was runner up to Dandy Man in the King Of Beers Stakes at the Curragh on Derby Day and will again be opposed by old rival, Osterhase, trained by John Mulhern while Desert Lord, Fictional and Tournedos are other English raiders with good prospects in a very competitive event.

On a fantastic weekend of racing at the Curragh, Saturday's feature is the ?300,000 Tattersalls Ireland Sale Stakes which has attracted its usual big field of 24 of which 11 are trained in England. In a race which has not been kept at home since 1995, the likes of Fabrigas and Howya Now Kid, trained by Kevin Prendergast and Ger Lyons respectively, have good prospects while other home trained contenders with claims are the Peter Casey trained pair of Inis Ceithleann and Invincible Star. Jockey Kieren Fallon has been snapped up by Stan Moore for the well fancied Southandwest while three time winner, Invincible Force, and Peter Chapple-Hyam's Don't Panic, with Michael Kinane booked to ride, are just three of several English trained raiders to be considered.

The first of seven races on Saturday is off at 2.15 pm with a Jackpot Pool guaranteed for ?10,000 while Sunday's eight race card kicks off at 2.10 pm and the Jackpot Pool is also guaranteed for ?10,000.