Nakayama Festa sprung a 36-1 surprise at the expense of Buena Vista in the Grade 1, $2.8 million Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin Racecourse near Osaka on Sunday as he collared the 7-5 favorite near the line for a handy half-length victory. Trained by Yoshitaka Ninomiya and ridden by Yoshitomi Shibata, the winning 4-year-old son of Stay Gold covered the 1 3/8 miles on firm ground in 2:13 flat.

Chinese White saved her best for last - and under difficult circumstances - at the Curragh on Saturday as she made off with the Group 1, $247,000 Pretty Polly Stakes while in foal to Cape Cross.

After much hand-wringing, Johnny Murtagh has decided that his mount in the $1.5 million Irish Derby at the Curragh on Sunday will be Cape Blanco. With his choice of five Aidan O'Brien-trained runners, his selection is so informative that Cape Blanco, a Galileo colt, is likely to go off as the favorite in the 1 1/2-mile classic.

Buena Vista can take the measure of her 16 male opponents in the $2.8 million, Grade 1 Takarazuka Kinen at 1 3/8 miles at Hanshin on Sunday. An unlucky second to Dar Re Mi in the 1 1/2-mile Dubai Sheema Classic on March 27, this admirable 4-year-old daughter of Special Week returned to Japan for a sharp score in the Grade 1 Victoria Mile in a display of virtuosity rarely seen on the racetrack these days. Moreover, she beat many of her main Sunday rivals when she won the 1 3/8-mile, Grade 2 Kyoto Kinen in February.

Sunday could be Ladies Day at Saint-Cloud when the first three finishers from the Prix Corrida, for females, collide with three-time Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up Youmzain in the Group 1, $493,000 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

When does a horse win its maiden in a Group 1 race? It could be on Saturday when Remember When goes in the $264,000 Pretty Polly Stakes, a 1 1/4-mile race for fillies and mares at the Curragh. A 3-year-old daughter of Danehill Dancer trained by Aidan O'Brien, Remember When is not only winless in four starts, she will be facing older females for the first time, yet she is the 11-10 favorite in a tentative field of nine.

Carl O'Callaghan sounded an upbeat note concerning his world-class sprinter Kinsale King on Thursday as he prepares that lightly raced 5-year-old son of Yankee Victor for the Group 1 July Cup, the centerpiece of Newmarket's prestigious July Festival on the ninth of next month.

Monterosso, the ex-handicapper who won the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot on Friday, will be supplemented to Sunday's Irish Derby and run in the 1 1/2-mile classic on just nine days' rest. Owned by Sheikh Mohammed's son Hamdan bin Mohammed al-Maktoum, the Mark Johnston-trained Monterosso increases the prospective size of the derby field to 11, but it will not include Epsom Derby winner Workforce, who will wait for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on July 24.

Starspangledbanner set off like a rocket's red glare and never looked back to win the Group 1, $665,000 Golden Jubilee Stakes on closing day at Royal Ascot on Saturday to give trainer Aidan O'Brien and jockey Johnny Murtagh their third victories at the meeting. American hope Kinsale King was on his heels most of the way and only lost second on the line by a head to longshot Society Rock.

Lillie Langtry gave Aidan O'Brien and Coolmore their first Royal Ascot victory of 2010 on Friday as she came late to win the Group 1, $370,000 Coronation Stakes. An hour later, the Coolmore team had a second success with Mikhail Glinka in the two-mile, Group 3 Queen's Vase. Earlier, the Ken McPeek-trained Tiz My Time ran her heart out in finishing third in the Group 3 Albany Stakes after having led most of the way.