Review curragh 20th Jul

< Chicquita landed the Darley Irish Oaks for France as she lost her maiden tag in the best possible style at the Curragh.

Having fallen when hitting a hedge with the race won at Saint-Cloud on her seasonal bow, she again showed wayward tendencies when second in the French Oaks, and her Classic victory under Johnny Murtagh was not without its alarms.

The 9-2 shot, trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, edged way to the left during the final furlong, but such was her ability that after grabbing long-time leader Just Pretending she was able to resist the late charge of Venus De Milo by half a length.

Aidan O'Brien was among the winners as usual and looks to have a smart recruit in ex-American colt Darwin who stepped up from his easy victory in a minor Naas event to take the Invesco Pension Consultants Minstrel Stakes.

Joseph O'Brien tracked the pace set by Leitir Mor in the Group Three contest before taking charge a furlong and a half out on the 8-11 favourite, who comfortably held Gordon Lord Byron by a length and three-quarters.

The Ballydoyle handler landed a one-two in the Jebel Ali Racecourse & Stables Anglesey Stakes, but it was 'second string' Wilshire Boulevard who took the honours in the Group Three juvenile event.

Stable companion Oklahoma City (evens favourite) soon led, but Wilshire Boulevard (7-1) challenged a furlong and a half out under Seamie Heffernan and quickly gained the ascendancy to score by three-quarters of a length.

There was another Ballydoyle winner in the Darley EBF Maiden, when Ouija Board's son Australia (3-10 favourite) readily held newcomer Carla Bianca by three-quarters of a length in the hands of O'Brien jnr.

Johnny Murtagh's Oaks victory was the middle leg of a treble as he swooped on Eddie Lynam's top-weight Pearl Of Africa (9-2) in the Sycamore Lodge Equine Hospital EBF Fillies Handicap and rallied Belle De Crecy (2-1 favourite) to take the Kilsaran International Handicap for his own yard.