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- Review curragh 26th May
Review curragh 26th May
Just The Judge stretches out well for the line ahead of Just Pretending and Big Break
© Photo Healy Racing
Newmarket runner-up Just The Judge stylishly went one better in the Etihad Airways Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.
The Charlie Hills-trained 2-1 favourite was always in a handy position for Jamie Spencer and fought off her rivals inside the final furlong to score by a length and a half.< Rehn's Nest flashed home from a long way back for second, with Just Pretending third and Big Break fourth.
There was a surprise result in the Tattersalls Gold Cup when Roger Charlton's Al Kazeem beat Camelot
Last year's brilliant three-year-old Camelot made a winning reappearance earlier in the month and was expected to double up on his return to the top flight.
But James Doyle had other ideas on Al Kazeem (9-4), who loomed up over a furlong from the finish and brushed aside Camelot for a length and a half triumph.< Leading Light marked himself down as another exciting Aidan O'Brien-trained three-year-old in the Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes.
Sent off the red-hot 4-6 favourite, he was ridden aggressively from the outset by the trainer's son, Joseph, and kept finding to repel the persistent challenge of Little White Cloud by two and a quarter lengths.< Sir John Hawkins justified 2-1 favouritism for the O'Briens on his racecourse bow in the opening Big Bad Bob EBF Maiden.
He travelled kindly behind leaders Sudirman and Intensified but left it late to get his head in front, sweeping home down the middle of track with 150 yards to go to beat Intensified by three parts of a length.< Maggie Dalton trained by Jim Bolger and ridden by Kevin Manning, relished the quick ground to make a successful seasonal debut in the Newstalk 106-108 Maiden.< Paddy The Celeb (12-1) made a winning return to turf for Mick Halford and Shane Foley in the Irish Daily Mail Handicap, while the same combination doubled up with Via Ballycroy (11-1) in the Texacloth Handicap.