Irish Derby Festival: Top Tips for Day One Day one of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Festival takes place at the Curragh on Friday evening, with the Apprentice Derby amongst the key contests. They have an eight-race offering at Headquarters from 4.50pm-8.30pm, with the Fitzpatrick's Mercedes-Benz Apprentice Derby Handicap due to go to post at 8.00pm. Conditions are forecast as 'Good-good to firm in places on round course' and we have picked out three selections to follow as a big weekend gets underway at the Curragh. Selections Curragh 5.20 - Minerva Curragh 6.50 - Catena Zapata Curragh 8.00 - Barrogstown Girl Coral Betting Offer If you already have a Coral account, check out more of the best betting sites and casino bonuses Curragh 5.20 - Minerva Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore will likely prove a potent force here over the three days and MINERVA could get them up and running by landing this O'Driscolls Irish Whiskey Irish European Breeders Fund Fillies Maiden over 7f. The Frankel filly cost 1,500,000 gns as a yearling and is out of a Grade 2 winning sister to Mohaather. She was odds-on for this month's debut over 7f at Leopardstown but ran very green and finished third as her stablemate Moments Of Joy won under Wayne Lordan. Moments Of Joy has since posted a good third in the Chesham at Royal Ascot, giving that form a pleasing look. Moore keeps the faith now, despite promising Wootton Bassett filly Composing lining up in the same colours, and the debut experience should help bring about an improved showing this time. Curragh 6.50 - Catena Zapata He remains a maiden on turf after 13 Flat runs but CATENA ZAPETA has shown some of his better form in this code at this venue from higher marks than the perch of 74 he is on now. The Henry De Bromhead-trained Vadamos gelding was beaten just over a length at this meeting in 2022 off a mark of 88 and ran well over C&D last month when fourth behind Ransom from this rating. He likes to be held up but was a touch slow getting away that afternoon and left himself plenty to do. His rider has a handy 10lb allowance to claim in this James Nolan's Bar Kildare Town Handicap and in a wide open contest, Catena Zapeta looks set to go well based on the balance of recent efforts. Curragh 8.00 - Barrogstown Girl A field of 16 runners were declared for the Fitzpatrick's Mercedes-Benz Apprentice Derby Handicap, down two on last year when Courageous Strike won at big odds of 28/1. This latest renewal looks wide open. Willie McCreery's Party Dress is the only last-time-out winner in the field, scoring at Limerick earlier in the month, while top-weight Not Just Any Eagle, Fortuna Vera and Cinammon Coco all bring solid credentials to the table. So, too, does the mare BARROGSTOWN GIRL for locally-based trainer Jarlath Fahey and she's fancied to run a big race. The daughter of Elusive Pimpernel has 13 starts under her belt now, including three wins and three placed efforts along the way. She has yet to win over this far, but did score last summer at Limerick over 1m3½f in the first of her three wins. Her two most recent starts have yielded close-up defeats at Roscommon and back at Limerick last time off this rating. She bumped into a very well treated ex-Richard Hannon inmate that day and can go well for 7lb claimer Neve Bennett now.
