Curragh preview

Training legends to clash for the very first time in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby 

The 2019 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby has thrown up a strange quirk as it will be the very first time that trainers Jim Bolger, Kevin Prendergast and Dermot Weld will each have a runner in the same Irish Derby.

Between the three hugely respected legendary trainers they can boast 147 years of training experience with Prendergast, the longest serving with a trainers licence, hoping to finally break his duck in the Irish Derby with Madhmoon. 

Prendergast took out his licence in 1963 and will turn 87 next Friday. The Curragh-based son of legendary trainer 'Darkie' Prendergast most recently enjoyed Classic success with Awtaad in 2016 and can has eight Irish classic victories at the Curragh in total. 

Jim Bolger relies on Guaranteed in the Irish Derby this year but may be filled by confidence as the colt is following a similar path as the stables 2013 winner Trading Leather. 

Trading Leather won the Silver Stakes en route to winning the Irish Derby and Guaranteed was victorious in the same Curragh contest earlier this month. 

Bolger began his training career in 1976 and his first Irish Derby winner St Jovite in 1992 has held onto the track record at the Curragh ever since. Give Thanks in the 1983 Irish Oaks was the first of six Irish classic victories for the proud Wexford native.

Weld is the nearest trainer to the Curragh Racecourse itself and his career began slightly earlier than Bolger's when he took out a trainers licence in 1972 while still riding as an accomplished amateur jockey. 

Ireland's winngmost trainer surpassed the 4000 winner milestone in 2016 and has three Irish Derby's to his name, along with 15 other Irish classic winners to have passed through his hands.

Weld's first Irish Derby winner was Zagreb in 1996 and Grey Swallow in 2004 and the English/Irish Derby double winner Harzand in 2016 have also won the most prestigious race in Ireland. Rakan will be the Rosewell House representative on Saturday afternoon. 

Aidan O'Brien is the fourth trainer to be represented in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby this year and he will seek a 13th success in the race when saddling Anthony Van Dyck, Broome, Il Paradiso, Norway and Sovereign. 

The ground is currently described as good on the Straight course and good, good to firm in places on the Round course.

Details of admission prices and discounted offers can be found at www.curragh.ie. Children under 18 that are accompanied by an adult go racing for free. 

- - Curragh attracts the very best juveniles for GAIN Railway Stakes 

One of the most exciting two-year-old races of the season takes place at the Curragh on Saturday with Siskin and Monarch Of Egypt set to square off in the Group 2 GAIN Railway Stakes.

The two highly rated colts are both unbeaten with the Ger Lyons-trained Siskin having impressed on his debut at Naas before then landing the Listed Marble Hill Stakes here last month.

The Khalid Abdullah-owned son of First Defence will be bidding to give Lyons and jockey Colin Keane their second win in this race. 

"He is in great shape," Lyons reported. "He has ran twice and won twice and could have gone to Ascot last week but the powers that be tell me that the faster the ground is the better. He is very, very straightforward and the drying forecast should mean there is beautiful ground."

Monarch Of Egypt, who hails from the first crop of the Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, created a big impression when scoring on his debut at Naas in April.

A victory for Monarch Of Egypt would see Aidan O’Brien join the late Vincent O’Brien as the most successful trainer in the race’s history with 14 victories. 

O'Brien said: "The plan was to go to Ascot with Monarch Of Egypt but he just had a little setback and is ready to start off back at the Curragh on Saturday in the Railway Stakes so we are looking forward to that. We are happy with him."

In the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Full Of Surprises International Stakes William Haggas has declared Addeybb who will be looking to build on last week’s victory in the Listed Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot. 

The high class five-year-old will take on a field that includes the Group 3-winning Normandel, the Gallinule Stakes second Buckhurst and the very promising Georgeville.

Elsewhere Speak In Colours, who ran so well at Group 1 level at Royal Ascot last week, is the headline act in the Listed Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship Dash Stakes where his rivals include the ageless Gordon Lord Byron. Tom Hogan's stable star will be having his 99th racecourse start tomorrow in a career that is into a tenth season.  

- - Live coverage of Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby to be shown in more than 80 countries

Live coverage of Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, from The Curragh Racecourse, will be shown by broadcasters in more than 80 countries.

Racecourse Media Group (RMG), the media rights organisation which produces and distributes top-class horseracing around the world, working with Horse Racing Ireland and The Curragh, have generated widespread interest in the €1.5m race.

Broadcasters include the likes of ESPN (Latin America), Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, TVG (US), Sky (Australia) and National Sports Channel (Russia).

Derek McGrath, CEO of The Curragh Racecourse, said: “We are very excited to be hosting the first Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby in our newly redeveloped Curragh venue.

“The new facility, built at a cost of €81m, now offers viewing and hospitality options that rival the best in the world. The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby is building towards a very competitive race over the mile and a half Derby track, which is preserved for the race each year. We congratulate RMG on securing such a broad global audience for the race.”

Broadcasters in North and South America, plus the Caribbean, include TVG (US); CBC, HPI (Canada); ESPN (Latin America, Caribbean) and SportsMax (Caribbean).

Europe will be served by RTE (ROI), Racing TV (UK, Republic of Ireland); TV Poland, National Sports Channel (Russia); SilkNet (Georgia); Arena Sport 1 & 2 (Slovakia and Czech Republic), Equidia (France) and TV Sports (Norway, Sweden, Denmark).

Australasia is covered by Sky Racing / Thoroughbred Central (Australia), plus Trackside (New Zealand).

Tellytrack will broadcast in South Africa, while 17 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region will be served by live coverage from the Dubai Racing Channel.