Savethelastdance wins Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh

Savethelastdance and Ryan Moore won the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at the Curragh this afternoon.

Victory for the Ballydoyle-ridden filly gave her trainer Aidan O’Brien a record seventh success in the one-and-a-half mile filly classic.

Winner of the Cheshire Oaks in May and runner-up at the Epsom Oaks last month, Galileo’s daughter battled with English challenger Bluestocking, representing the sponsors, at the end of the commercial race.

As Bluestocking-ridden Ralph Beckett-trained Colin Keane progressed through the latter stages of the contest and looked poised for victory, Savethelastdance fought bravely for Ryan Moore and came back to claim victory.

Another runner from Ballydoyle, leader Library (80/1) took third place.

🗣️ “It was an amazing run from Ryan.”

Great stuff with Aidan O’Brien after a great day at the @curraghrace

✅ Henry Longfellow
✅ Emily Dickinson (Irish St. Leger)
✅ Savethelastdance (Yorkshire Oaks or St Leger)
👀 Kyprios on the way back pic.twitter.com/rL7jBR6Rd8

— TV racing (@RacingTV) July 22, 2023

The Savethelastdance victory was the middle part of a Curragh hat-trick for O’Brien, Moore and partners Coolmore.

Impressive newcomer Henry Longfellow got the ball rolling for the Ballydoyle team when he claimed first place.

A juvenile son of Dubawi and multiple Group 1 winner Minding, previously trained by O’Brien, the 5/4 favorite led a 1-2-3 for O’Brien with Mythology (13/8) second and Master of the Hunt (13/2) third.

😍 We saw a good one here

Henry Longfellow (Dubawi) comes from multiple G1 Minding goalscorers and Moving Poetry debuts for the team @Ballydoyle & Ryan Moore in the first match of the @curraghrace

A 1-2-3 for the Coolmore Partnership too! pic.twitter.com/d3zqyCn0eV

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 22, 2023

The Group 2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup was won by Emily Dickinson (6/4f) to complete the treble. Dubawi’s four-year-old daughter finished fourth in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last month, but on softer ground today, which is more to her liking, she beat Paddy Twomey’s Rosscarbery (13/8) and Donnacha O’Brien’s Fun to third.

🔥 A quick double for the team @Ballydoyle!

🏆 G1 Irish Oaks – Savethelastdance
🏆 G2 Comer International Group @curraghrace Cut – Emily Dickinson

Clever performance of this chic stayer in the hands of Ryan Moore pic.twitter.com/IRpzdGpDN7

— TV racing (@RacingTV) July 22, 2023