It’s Irish Oaks day at the Curragh on Saturday with a bumper nine-race card coming up in which the feature race goes off at 16:35.
The Racing Post’s Phill Anderson has picked out three selections for the best of the action at the Curragh on Saturday, including one in the Irish Oaks.
Saturday's Curragh Horse Racing Betting Tips
14:50 Curragh - Dark Thirty @ 10/1
16:35 Curragh - Sparan Nua @ 8/1
17:45 Curragh - Real Encounter @ 7/2
14:50 Curragh - Dark Thirty @ 10/1
It looks like a typically competitive renewal of the Curragh’s Scurry Handicap but the British raider, Dark Thirty, might be worth chancing from an each-way perspective.
He’s got right back on track since joining the Quinns, a yard that really excels with their sprinters and this out-and-out front-runner got his head back in front in a competitive handicap at York earlier in the campaign.
While he struggled in his follow-up bid at Thirsk when the yard were under a bit of a cloud, he’s got right back on track in two runs since, hitting the crossbar at Ripon before making all in good style at Chester last time out.
This is a different test but he’s got plenty of straight track form in the book and a high draw is often beneficial over this course and distance.
Despite the big field, there are not many front-runners in opposition and he looks worth chancing with bet365 paying five places on the race.
16:35 Curragh - Sparan Nua @ 8/1
Thundering On looked pretty special when landing Epsom’s equivalent of the Oaks and she probably deserves to be shorter than her price of 9/4 at the time of writing on the bare form. However, the body of her work is starting to suggest she needs slower conditions than what she’s going to get on Saturday having finished unplaced in the Pretty Polly Stakes on fast ground.
The one to take her on with could be Jim Bolger’s filly. Sparan Nua defied big odds when winning on debut in a Naas maiden that worked out very nicely and she proved that was no fluke when she followed up in a fillies’ race at Gowran in good style.
She then took her form to a new level when taking out a Group 3 at Naas and she still looked quite raw when asked for her effort before the penny dropped late on and she was ultimately good value for the winning margin that day.
There’s no doubt that she needs to improve again to figure here but she seems just the type to do so and she looks like the value play each-way at a price of 8/1.
17:45 Curragh - Real Encounter @ 7/2
It might be worth siding with one of the progressive three-year-olds in the finale and Real Encounter makes the most appeal.
Jessica Harrington’s filly was unlucky when beaten a neck over this course and distance on her penultimate start, winning her race on her side when it was an advantage to be drawn high.
She was put up 2lb for that and shaped like she wants a return to the minimum trip when third of 16 here over six furlongs subsequently.
This is the first time she’ll encounter good to firm ground but she leaves the impression that a flying five will be up her street given how much speed she’s shown in her last couple of starts and she’s still entirely unexposed having had just seven career starts so far.
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Tipster's Recent Winners
Phill Anderson hit the frame with two each-way picks from three selections for bet365 at Royal Ascot (Great Acclaim 16/1 & Outback Heat 9/1). He also returned a profit with a 33/1 second at the Curragh last month and got a winner on the board with Royal Zabeel (SP 15/2) a fortnight ago.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
