Racing’s seasonal cycle is underlined this weekend with the first Grade One of the National Hunt campaign preceding Sunday’s conclusion to the Irish flat season. Meanwhile, about 9,000km away, the Breeders’ Cup attracts global attention to Del Mar on Saturday night.
US racing’s “world championships” has eight Irish-trained hopefuls spread around four races. The Irish contingent is topped by Aidan O’Brien’s star filly Minnie Hauk in the $5 million (€4.34 million) Turf contest, due off at 9.41pm Irish time.
Intriguingly, the dual classic heroine is joined by Willie Mullins’s Ethical Diamond as the mile-and-a-half contest hosts a rare international clash between Ireland’s dominant figures across the codes.
Once again, Mullins is keeping his powder dry by skipping Saturday’s BetVictor Champion Chase at Down Royal. But should Ethical Diamond graduate from winning an Ebor to beating some of the world’s finest middle-distance talents, it will be a spectacular reward for some daring ambition.
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It will require jump racing’s maestro to upset the flat game’s global aristocracy. O’Brien has won the Turf a record seven times for his Coolmore bosses. Godolphin’s Rebel’s Romance has won it twice and could join Goldikova and Beholder as a triple Breeders’ Cup winner.
On top of all that, Europe’s emerging force, the French trainer Francis Graffard, has Goliath, last year’s King George winner. Frankie Dettori has an outside shot at a perfect Breeders’ Cup swansong aboard Wimbledon Hawkeye.
At the other end of his career span is Dylan Browne McMonagle, Ireland’s new champion jockey at just 22. He skips Sunday’s Curragh finale to team up with Ethical Diamond.
No one will be hungrier for success, though, than Minnie Hauk’s rider Christophe Soumillon. The Belgian jockey, stepping in for the injured Ryan Moore, has been boiling his frame down to do 8st 7lbs on the filly pretty much since her narrow Arc defeat four weeks ago.
“I weigh 53.5 kilos, have been walking a lot and eating veggies and fish and drinking a lot of espresso coffee,” reported the 10-time French champion jockey. “I’ve run a lot and had hot baths and will give it a final push on Saturday morning.”
There may also be some appetite to deliver a perfect riposte to those critical of Soumillon’s Arc ride when Minnie Hauk became arguably a perfect target for Daryz’s late thrust.
It’s not like Soumillon can tuck into anything after the Turf either. Just over three hours later, he has to do 8st 8lbs on Bedtime Story for O’Brien in the last of the 14 Breeders’ Cup races, the Filly & Mare Turf. She is joined by Donnacha O’Brien’s outsider Atsila.
O’Brien snr has Ireland’s only shot at the Mile, with The Lion In Winter. However, it is the opening turf event on Saturday night, the Sprint due off at 7.41, that could produce a rare result.
Adrian Murray, the Co. Westmeath trainer who along with his Brazilian assistant Robson Aguiar and investment from the AMO operation has become a top-flight presence in recent years, runs only Bucanero Fuerte after Arizona Blaze was ruled out on Friday night due to a veterinary decision.
Also in the lineup is She’s Quality, a first Breeders Cup runner for Co. Meath based Jack Davison. He has snapped up Colin Keane for the ride on a filly who ran third in the Abbaye on Arc day.
Arizona Blaze looked to hold a leading chance up until he was scratched and jockey David Egan switched to Bucanero Fuerte. The local hope Motorious drawn on the inside rail could be the one to beat.
If European focus is on the grass, it’s the $7 million Classic, off at 10.25, that’s the focal point of the entire meeting.
[ Ireland’s new champion jockey has three shots at a first Breeders’ Cup victoryOpens in new window ]
Absent is the outstanding three-year-old Sovereignty but the first three from last year are back again including Japan’s Forever Young. Sovereignty’s old rival Journalism might ultimately emerge on top and perhaps prompt inevitable queries as to what might have been.
If Down Royal’s Saturday afternoon card seems a world away from California, it is a taste of the racing narrative for months to come and one that will have plenty of its own virtues.
Whereas after a single sparkling season Sovereignty might never be seen on a track again, the stalwart Envoi Allen is back to try and land Down Royal’s €160,000 feature for a record third time.
Henry De Bromhead’s popular chaser won last year and in 2022, and was only narrowly beaten the year in between. It will be Envoi Allen’s 30th career start but he still shapes as a major player if ground conditions don’t turn testing. If they do, Stellar Story’s proven stamina could see him emerge best of Gordon Elliott’s trio.
Ireland’s 2025 flat campaign on grass winds up at the Curragh, with the familiar sight of Aidan O’Brien crowned champion trainer for a 28th time. Like Mullins over jumps, he is also champion in Britain this season for an eighth occasion.
Browne McMonagle’s first jockeys’ championship indicates a major new talent while his boss Joseph O’Brien could have another champion apprentice in Wayne Hassett who has seven rides on the final day.
They include the Queen Alexandra winner Uxmal in the Group Three Comer Group Loughbrown Stakes. That proven extreme stamina may be decisive in testing conditions. Hassett also looks to have a major shout in the Listed Finale Stakes aboard Starford.
Gavin Cromwell’s Calais might have the distinction of landing the very last race if building on her Roscommon debut.
