Tuesday takes on males in Irish Derby
Westover’s days as a longshot ended with a troubled third at 25-1 in the Group 1 English Derby at Epsom Downs on June 4.
In Saturday’s Group 1 Irish Derby at the Curragh, Westover and the filly Tuesday will be the first two choices in a field of eight, with both likely to be prices ranging from 7-5 to 3-2. They bring excellent credentials to the $1.05 million Irish Derby, run at 1 1/2 miles.
Westover, trained by Ralph Beckett, was beaten 2 3/4 lengths by Desert Crown in the English Derby, but raced in traffic at the bottom of Epsom’s famous hill and could only finish third once clear with a furlong remaining. Westover missed finishing second by a head.
Westover was ridden by Rob Hornby in the English Derby, but has been replaced by Colin Keane.
Tuesday is the lone filly in the Irish Derby, and starts on the strength of a win in the Group 1 English Oaks at 1 1/2 miles at Epsom on June 3. Tuesday is trained by Aidan O’Brien, who has won a record 14 runnings of the Irish Derby.
Tuesday will be ridden by Ryan Moore, the world-class rider who is winless in nine career mounts in Ireland’s top race for 3-year-olds.
Tuesday can become the first filly to win the Irish Derby since Balanchine in 1994.
Aidan O’Brien’s son Joseph starts a wise-looking contender in Hannibal Barca, the winner of the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at the Curragh on May 20 in his lone start this year. Hannibal Barca will start at 1 1/2 miles for the first time in the Irish Derby.
Pretty Polly
La Petite Coco, the winner of three consecutive stakes in Ireland last summer, will have her 2022 debut in Sunday’s Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at 1 1/4 miles for fillies and mares at the Curragh.
Trained by Paddy Twomey, La Petite Coco won the Group 2 Blandford Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles at the Curragh last September.
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The $316,000 Pretty Polly Stakes drew a field of nine, including Purplepay, who won the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham at a mile for 3-year-old fillies at Chantilly Racecourse in France on June 5, and Dreamloper, a 5-year-old mare who won the Group 1 Prix d’Ispahan against males at 1 1/8 miles at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris on May 29.
Both the Irish Derby and Pretty Polly Stakes have post times of 10:45 a.m. Eastern or 7:45 a.m. Pacific on Saturday and Sunday. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.