Features / Timeform / 28 August 2010 / Leave a comment Free £25 Bet View Market

Timeform look ahead to a week's racing that includes Group 1 events at the Curragh, Haydock and Leopardstown...

"The Irish Champion Stakes is one of the main mile-and-a-quarter races in the European calendar, the recent roll of honour featuring some top-notchers, notably Sea The Stars, who produced the best performance of his stellar career when accounting for Fame And Glory in last year’s renewal"

Sunday 29th August

There is plenty of pattern racing across Europe on Sunday, but the sole Group 1 takes place at the Curragh in the shape of the Moyglare Stud Stakes (4.15) over seven furlongs for two-year-old fillies. Timeform's top-rated juvenile filly, Memory, is the sole British raider, representing Richard Hannon who last won the race in 1993 with Lemon Souffle. The leading Irish-based contender the Jessica Harrington-trained Laughing Lashes who is seeking to give her trainer a second juvenile Group winner in successive weekends after Pathfork's win in the Futurity Stakes last Sunday. Aidan O'Brien is four-handed in the race, with Together the selected mount of Johnny Murtagh. There are three Group 3 events on the card at the Curragh, notably the Flying Five Stakes (3.45) over the minimum trip.

Goodwood also stages a seven-race card, the highlight of which is the Group 3 Supreme Stakes (3.55) over seven furlongs, in which Peter Winkworth's filly Tropical Paradise will seek to add a second pattern race over course and distance to her portfolio, having won the Oak Tree Stakes at Glorious Goodwood in July. The Alice Keppel Stakes (3.20), a listed handicap for fillies and mares, is the next best race on the card, and Amanda Perrett's progressive three-year-old Mirror Lake looks the one to beat.

Sunday is also the final weekend of Deauville's summer meeting, and things round off with the Group 2 Grand Prix de Deauville (2.40) over a mile and a half, in which Redwood, Monitor Closely and Allied Powers will all be looking to take the valuable prize back to Britain.

Monday 30th August

Bank Holiday Monday is a bumper day of racing, with seven meetings taking place in Britain and a further two scheduled in Ireland. There is racing on the Flat at Bath, Epsom, Galway, Newcastle, Ripon and Warwick, while jumps enthusiasts have the pick of Cartmel, Downpatrick and Huntingdon.

Thursday 2nd September

The pick of Thursday's racing takes place at Salisbury, where the highlight is the Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes (3.50), a listed event for two-year-olds over six furlongs. Paul Cole's Lowther Stakes third Rimth is reportedly an intended runner.

Saturday 4th September

Saturday is one of the feature days of the Flat season at Haydock, the Sprint Cup (3.40) being the track's sole Group 1 of the season. This year's renewal is shaping up to be a cracker, with the Betfair market currently headed by Starspangledbanner [3.55] , though the likes of last year's winner Regal Parade [4.0], who won a Group 1 at Deauville last time, and perhaps most interestingly of all, Paco Boy [7.6] are also under consideration. The day's big betting handicap at Haydock is the mile-and-three-quarters Old Borough Cup (3.05).

Saturday's other pattern races in Britain take place at Kempton. The Sirenia Stakes (2.15) at Kempton is a six-furlong Group 3 for two-year-old. Though it hasn't been much of a pointer towards future stars in recent years, July Cup winner Pastoral Pursuits was successful in 2003. The September Stakes (2.45) is also a Group 3 event, this time over a mile and a quarter for three-year-olds and upwards.

For all the quality action in Britain on Saturday, plenty of eyes will be focused on Leopardstown, which stages two Group 1 events. The Irish Champion Stakes (3.50) is one of the premier mile-and-a-quarter races in the European calendar, the recent roll of honour featuring some top-notchers, notably Sea The Stars, who produced the best performance of his stellar career when accounting for Fame And Glory in last year's renewal. That horse is reportedly under consideration for a bid to go one better this time round, though his Ballydoyle stablemates Rip Van Winkle and Cape Blanco are both possible runners as well. The day's other Group 1 at Leopardstown is the Matron Stakes (2.40) over a mile for fillies and mares, where Mick Channon's Falmouth Stakes winner Music Show is likely to be among the market leaders.

Tags: Curragh, Fame And Glory, Haydock, Irish Champion Stakes, Leopardstown, Matron Stakes, Memory, Moyglare Stud Stakes, Music Show, Sprint Cup