Sky Lantern Wins Moyglare Stakes

The Richard Hannon-trained Sky Lantern was a convincing winner of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.

Richard Hughes was always sat with plenty of horse underneath him and the 7-1 chance stretched away from her field when the jockey asked her for an effort with just over a furlong to travel.

Scintulla ran on to be a never nearer second with favourite, Harasiya, finishing third having held every chance.

Hannon's son and assistant, Richard Hannon jnr, said of the two-and-a-half-length winner: 

"She was lucky last time she came here, so we decided to supplement her and she was probably the best filly in the race at Goodwood last time, but it didn't go to plan.

"She now gets an entry into the Breeders' Cup and that is certainly an option, but the owner is unfortunately in Hong Kong so we can't discuss plans right now.

"She'll stay a mile and she can be a Guineas filly next year. She's one to look forward to."

Oxx said of Harasiya: "She ran well. She changed her legs a bit and the ground might have been a bit fast.

"She runs well on soft ground, but hopefully she'll handle better ground with more experience.

"I'd say she's done enough for this year."

Sky Bet made Sky Lantern 16-1 (from 33-1) for next year's 1,000 Guineas.

Tales of Camelot Continue at Curragh

Odds on favourite Camelot maintained his unbeaten record in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh - but was given a scare by Born To Sea.

Aidan O'Brien was winning the Classic for a remarkable seventh successive season and his latest star colt was always cantering under the trainer's son Joseph.

However when he was let down over a furlong out he jinked left and Johnny Murtagh attacked aboard the eventual runner-up.

For a stride or two he looked a genuine threat but Camelot soon had his measure and went on to win with authority by two lengths.

The winning trainer said: "We really felt it wasn't the right thing (to run on this ground) but he's a great horse.

"He's a real fast ground horse. We appreciate all the hard work everyone's put in, the sponsors, The Curragh - I can't say how thrilled we are to be part of it. It doesn't get any better than this. These are days you can't dream of.

"I never would have believed it could ever happen. He's by far the best we've had - we've never had anything like this.

"He had the speed to win the Guineas, the class to win the Derby and then he had to have class, courage and stamina to win today. Obviously the lads will speak about the Triple Crown now, wouldn't it be something to dream about?"

Homecoming Queen in 1000 Guineas

Homecoming Queen heads a field of eight as she attempts to follow up her surprise victory in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in the Etihad Airways-sponsored Irish equivalent at the Curragh on Sunday.

Aidan O'Brien's filly set out to make all the running three weeks ago and couldn't be caught under Ryan Moore, who will be replaced in the saddle by Joseph O'Brien.

Having won at Newmarket by nine lengths, Homecoming Queen heads to the Curragh as an odds-on favourite.

"Her first six or seven runs she kept getting beat and we didn't know what was wrong, so we changed tactics a bit and she has clicked into gear. She's a very hardy filly," said Aidan O'Brien.

O'Brien junior added: "It was a great performance in Newmarket and if she reproduces something like that she should be very, very hard to beat.

"There was no fluke about it in Newmarket. She went to the front and did it the hard way."

Moore switches to Ballydoyle stablemate After, who was last seen finishing fourth in the French 1000 Guineas.

Ishvana, third in the Athasi Stakes on her most recent outing, also runs for O'Brien.

The Kevin Prendergast-trained La Collina finished fifth behind Homecoming Queen at Newmarket and will reportedly be suited by the return to a sounder surface at the Curragh.

She has thrilled Prendergast since Newmarket. He said: "She ran very well at Newmarket and she's come out of the race in great form.

"The big thing this weekend is the ground. She didn't like the cut in the ground in England but it should be a lot quicker on the Curragh.

"She's in great shape and I'm expecting her to run very well.

"It looks like we've got Homecoming Queen to beat, but how she'll cope with the completely different ground is anybody's guess.

"We know we'll handle it so we'll see how she gets on."

Dermot Weld's Yellow Rosebud won the Guineas Trial and represents a stable in form, while Jessica Harrington runs Princess Sinead.

Yellow Rosebud is less exposed than most and will be having just her fifth start in the Classic.

Jockey Pat Smullen told At The Races: "She's not done a lot wrong in her career.

"She's been second to Maybe in a Group Two and has won a Guineas Trial.

"I don't think you can ask for a whole lot more and I think she'll run a huge race on Sunday.

"She's a proper horse and I think she goes there with a fighting chance.

"I just hope the ground doesn't get too quick as she appreciates a little ease.

"I don't think it will, though, perfect ground would be fine for her."

Janey Muddles is Jim Bolger's representative rather than Cleofila.

The one British challenger is the Mick Channon-trained Samitar who has been unplaced in two runs this year but won over £250,000 in a fine first season.

Action at Curragh Races

St Nicholas Abbey returns to these shores at the Curragh when he lines up in the High Chaparral EBF Mooresbridge Stakes.

Aidan O'Brien's five-year-old has enjoyed a lucrative globetrotting campaign, winning the Breeders' Cup Turf in America before finishing a close second in the Sheema Classic in Dubai.

The drop to 10 furlongs may be a concern for the penalised son of Montjeu, but he is far and away the class act in the field, though Sharestan pushed Famous Name close last time and could prove a thorn in his side.

Three-year-olds have held sway in the Canford Cliffs EBF Athasi Stakes in recent years and with only Gossamer Seed representing the older brigade, the Classic generation look set to strike again.

An Ghalanta and Bulbul both have claims if building on modest reappearance runs, but O'Brien could well have the edge thanks to recent battling Dundalk winner Ishvana.

Coolnagree was a solid second in Listed company last time and returns to the same grade, course and distance for the Dylan Thomas EBF Tetrarch Stakes.

She is one of only two runners to have shown their hand this season, and the returning Takar, an eight-length winner on his second start as a juvenile, could prove up to this task and better.

The meeting kicks off at 2.20 with the Alfred Nobel EBF Maiden, which sees Jim Bolger's Move To Strike bid to build on a solid debut third at Leopardstown.

Chips Are Down missed out by a nose in a three-runner affair at Tipperary and will be bidding for better, while Slope is related to a quartet of winners so will not be winning out of place first time up.

Olfa and Ahimsa bid to follow up recent successes in the Newbridge Credit Union Handicap, while the Keadeen Hotel Wedding Specialists Handicap looks an open heat, with Wrekin Rock and Authinger just two of the contenders.

OSM news service

Going Soft for St Nicholas Abbey

Joseph O'Brien is hoping St Nicholas Abbey, who provided the rider with the biggest success of his career so far, will handle soft ground at the Curragh on Monday.

O'Brien, 18, enjoyed one of the biggest successes of his riding career so far on that horse, trained by his father, Aidan, in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs in November.