CURRAGH ON TV

SUNDAY’S coverage opened with a replay of Golden Horn’s Champion Stakes win with Robert Hall describing him as “a champion to fit the occasion”. The day’s star-studded cast was briefly introduced as the presenter previewed the three Group 1 races on the card.

Despite Pat Smullen’s assertion that Order Of St George was the one to beat in the Leger, Hall pointed out that “no three-year-old has won the race since Vinnie Roe a long time ago’’.

Ted Walsh, however, defended the Ballydoyle runner saying “this is a better type of horse, un-standard”. Brian Gleeson warned us “not to move a muscle’’ for the next three hours as rain arrived just before racing to make it a difficult afternoon.

Ribbons played up before the Blandford Stakes, “having a think about it’’ according to Ted but Tom Queally’s mount had no such issues, taking it up inside the last furlong and going away to win well. Tracy Piggott interviewed a rather muddy Tom, who said “getting her relaxed in the early stages” was the key to this filly.

Hurricane fly

Tom Lee and Brian Gleeson paid tribute to the recently retired Hurricane Fly, unbeaten in Leopardstown, “a perfect nine from nine’’. The former Champion Hurdler joined current holder Faugheen and a host of others in the Parade of Champions.

Eddie Lynam told Tracy Piggott he didn’t think Sole Power would handle the ground in the Flying Five Stakes but said: “It won’t do him any harm and we are keen to support the race.”

In contrast, Evanna McCutcheon felt her “horse of a lifetime’’, Maarek, would love the ground and she “had been doing the odd rain dance’’. Unfortunately for McCutcheon little went right for Maarek and he had to settle for second, behind Sole Power.

GALILEO FILLIES

Aidan O’Brien saddled three in the Moyglare Stakes and told Tracy that Minding “could come into her own”, upped in trip on soft ground. The filly did just that, seeing off stable-mate Ballydoyle in a tight finish, with Alice Springs running on to make it a one, two, three for O’Brien.

Afterwards the trainer sang the praises of Galileo, sire of all three fillies: “They don’t know when to lie down, I feel privileged to have them.”

Jamie Spencer joined the team and felt that Air Force Blue would be a certainty if there was no rain before the National Stakes. Jim Bolger also feared the ground saying he would “prefer good ground’ for Herald The Dawn but was “hopeful that he can get through it”. Get through it he did but the colt had to settle for second place behind Air Force Blue.

Winning jockey Joseph O’Brien was confident of making it a Group 1 double in the feature race, telling Tracy he felt Order Of St George would run well: “The three-year-old allowance is a big help, I think he’ll handle the ground and he gets the trip.’’

Post-race, Brian Gleeson advised punters to “form an orderly queue’’, as the gambled-on Ballydoyle favourite bolted in by 11 lengths. Ted Walsh questioned how good the ones behind were while crediting Wicklow Brave with “running a blinder’’. He wondered what the likes of Faugheen or Hurricane Fly could have achieved as “he wouldn’t be in the pecking order in Mullin’s yard”.

Tom Lee described the Leger winner as the best backed horse of the entire weekend, while Robert Hall told viewers the rain had failed in its attempt to dampen spirits. Brian Gleeson felt that “champions weekend was well named… a wonderful weekend for Irish flat racing’’.

Ted Walsh, as ever, had the final say: “The weekend just drove home as well how powerful Coolmore are worldwide; here in their own back garden they won four of the Group 1s, three today and one yesterday.’’