The Irish Oaks will be staying on home soil this year with no British raiders in the line-up. Cayenne Pepper and Ennistymon set the standard with proven form at the highest level and they lead the market jointly at around 2/1.
The former put in a respectable comeback finishing 4.5 lengths behind Magical in the Pretty Polly Stakes over 1m 2f. Cayenne Pepper is entitled to improve for the step up in trip and is likely to go off in front.
That could suit Ennistymon who’s a hold-up horse and would have won the English Oaks equivalent if not for her exceptional stablemate, Love. That rates excellent form alongside her second in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot. But this will be Ennistymon’s fourth hard race in quick succession and she may pay the price for it.
At odds of 12/1, I think it’s worth chancing that LABURNUM could be much better than what we have seen in her first two starts. This Galileo filly looked very green when winning a maiden at Gowran Park; that’s turning out to look like good form.
Her second start, just a fortnight ago was over 1m 2f behind the 1,000 Guineas fifth Even So for Ger Lyons. Even So reopposes here, but she had the rail and a massive experience adavantage when just getting the better over Laburnum in the Oaks trial and I fancy her to progress past her.
Laburnum should have learned a lot on her second start and we’ve seen how quickly the Galileos can progress – a la Serpentine in the Derby. This doesn’t necessarily look like the deepest contest on paper and she rates a nice prospect against the marker leaders.
1pt each-way Laburnum @12/1, 19:15 Curragh, Saturday (1-3 places, 1/5 odds with Bet365)
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