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Punchestown 2024
Punchestown 2024
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- Review curragh 24th Aug
Review curragh 24th Aug
Leading Light winning at the Curragh
© Photo Healy Racing
< Gleneagles lit up the Curragh with a sparkling display to land the Galileo EBF Futurity Stakes on a day when Aidan O'Brien completed a four-timer.
Sent off the 8-13 favourite after his success in the Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown last time, the son of Galileo took the step up to Group Two level in his stride and is now a leading player in the betting on next season's Classics.
He sat in third before finding a nice gap on the rail two furlongs out, and once Joseph O'Brien asked him to quicken through he went clear before Vert De Grece made late progress to get to within three-quarters of a length.
Ballydoyle's Ascot Gold Cup hero Leading Light (2-5 favourite) returned from a break to run his usual tough and honest race in the Palmerstown House Estate Irish St Leger Trial.
The four-year-old disposed of Shu Lewis and Streetcar To Stars at the furlong pole and galloped on strongly under O'Brien jnr to hold Royal Diamond s late rush by a length and a quarter.
Seamie Heffernan rode the first Ballydoyle winner, setting off in front on Hall Of Mirrors (13-2) in the Kilfrush Stud Royal Whip Stakes and keeping him going when better fancied stablemate Kingsbarns drew alongside, scoring cosily by half a length.
It was four for Aidan and three for Joseph when Adjusted got off the mark at the fourth attempt in the Irish Champions Weekend Maiden as the 9-4 favourite, coming nicely clear of Sindarban
Mick Halford's filly Raydara (11-1) sprung something of a surprise in the Group Two Debutante Stakes when she was delivered with a telling late charge by Shane Foley and flew down the outside to beat joint-favourite Lucida by half a length.
Willie McCreery's 6-1 favourite Tylery Wonder raced prominently all the way under Billy Lee to take the Luke And Nellie Comer Memorial Handicap, while Sabrina Harty completed an across-the-card double begun by Ansgar at Goodwood when Leigh Roche drove Kalann (16-1) clear in the Mongey Communications Handicap.