Each-way Tips for Oaks Day at the Curragh Aidan O’Brien is responsible for four of the eight declared runners for Today’s Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh as he goes in search of win number seven in the fillies Classic. Epsom runner-up Savethelastdance will be a warm order to make amends on home soil, but don’t discount the chances of Dermot Weld’s Aga Khan-owned filly Azazat. The regally bred daughter of Camelot out of a Sea The Stars mare started even money favourite for a Maiden at Leopardstown in April, but had to settle for third place behind the aforementioned Savethelastdance. Since then Azazat has upped her game. She returned to Leopardstown in May and stepping up to today’s distance of one mile and four furlongs ran out a wide margin winner of her Maiden. Azazat then took on older mares in the Group 3 Munster Oaks at Cork in June and produced a fine performance when narrowly defeated by the highly-rated Rosscarbery. She was only beaten half a length on that occasion having suffered some interference in the closing stages. A similar effort from Azazat today will surely be enough to see her make the frame and at odds of 12/1 with BoyleSports there is a lot to like about her chances. Elsewhere on today’s high quality card at the Curragh the Group 3 Anglesey Stakes should be a very informative contest. Aidan O’Brien’s Pearls And Rubies was strongly fancied for the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot when the step up to seven furlongs was expected to bring out the best in her, but in the end she drifted off a straight line in the closing stages and had to settle for second place behind fellow Irish raider Snellen. Dropping down to six furlongs for today’s race looks the right move for Pearls And Rubies, but she will need to be on her game to fend off a pair of recent Naas winners, Buyin Buyin and Kairyu. Buyin Buyin (11/2 BoyleSports), in particular, looks talented and it will be no surprise if he emerges as the chief threat to the Ballydoyle favourite. Big Gossey is a Curragh sprint regular and is sure to give a good account of himself again in today’s Scurry Handicap. Fourth in this race two years ago and narrowly touched off in it last year he arrives here in top form having lost out in a blanket finish to the Rockingham handicap over the course and distance on Irish Derby weekend. Big Gossey is 8/1 with BoyleSports who are paying 1/5 the odds 5 places on this race. The outcome of the Group 2 Curragh Cup will go a long way towards determining the pecking order for the Irish challenge for the Melbourne Cup in November. Jessica Harrington has already mentioned the Australian race as a potential target for Yashin. The four-year-old had three of today’s rivals behind when scoring at Leopardstown on seasonal debut, but as he has a preference for good ground, conditions may not be in his favour this time and a chance is taken with Point King. This Joseph O’Brien-trained son of Zoffany is owned by the Australian Llyod William Syndicate so Melbourne will be his long term aim, but he can run another decent race here and looks value at odds of 14/1 with BoyleSports. Point King was caught on the line by Yashin in the Leopardstown race before finishing with running left when eighth to Vauban at Royal Ascot.
