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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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- Review curragh 22nd May
Review curragh 22nd May
Aidan O'Brien completed a fabulous weekend when Misty For Me led home a one-two for the Ballydoyle stable in the Etihad Airways Irish 1000 Guineas at the Curragh.
The race looked to be going the way of Newmarket Guineas runner-up Together when she struck the front a furlong out, but Misty For Me kept grinding away down the outside.
Seamie Heffernan 's mount took over in the final 75 yards to score by three-quarters of a length and match the winning effort of stablemate Roderic O'Connor the previous day in the Irish 2000 Guineas.
O'Brien's former Australian superstar So You Think enhanced his growing reputation with another commanding performance in the Group One Tattersalls Gold Cup under Ryan Moore.
The five-year-old (1-7 favourite) tracked pacemaker Windsor Palace until the straight and then powered clear to beat Campanologist by four and a half lengths.
The Ballydoyle handler also landed the Group Three Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes with the Colm O'Donoghue-ridden 3-1 favourite Alexander Pope < Smartcity took the lead a furlong out, but no sooner had he done so than Alexander Pope cranked up the gears and swept past to score by a length and three-quarters, with Moriarty grabbing second late on.
The afternoon began with a win for the O'Brien juvenile Reply (100-30), who stepped up on his debut third at Cork to run away with the Big Bad Bob EBF (C & G) Maiden, leading all the way under Heffernan to score by four lengths.
Jessie Harrington's Bob Le Beau (10-1) put up a terrific performance in the United Arab Emirates Handicap, striking the front in the final 100 yards under Shane Foley to defy top weight in beating Plum Sugar by a length and a quarter.
The runners in the Yas Handicap were spread across the track and in a desperately tight finish Brendan Duke's Roicead (14-1), ridden by Willie Supple, got the better of Murura on the other side by a short head.