Art Power claimed a fourth win from as many visits to the Curragh with a dominant display in the Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes.
Tim Easterby's rapid grey won the Group Three Renaissance Stakes in both 2021 and 2022 and made it a hat-trick at the home of Irish Flat racing in the Group Two Greenlands Stakes in May.
Four from four in Ireland overall having also won the Lacken Stakes at Naas three years ago, Tim Easterby’s six-year-old was the 6-5 favourite for his latest assignment, turning out just seven days after finishing fourth in the July Cup at Newmarket.
Any concerns about the quick turnaround were soon quashed as Art Power travelled with zest on the front end throughout before powering four and a quarter lengths clear once asked to extend by David Allan.
Go Athletico narrowly beat Moss Tucker to the runner-up spot.
"He’s been awesome and he loves coming to Ireland for some reason, nobody knows why but he seems to come to life here," Allan said of the winner.
"Bringing him back to five we thought might be an issue, but I’ve always been confident five is going to be okay for him, especially if the ground is soft.
"It went right up his street today and it all worked out perfect. I was confident enough but a little unsure about coming back to five furlongs.
"The way he was powering up that hill I thought 'they can’t go that fast to catch me’, especially in that ground – he was powering away."
On the possibility of coming back to the Curragh later in the year, the jockey added: "I’d imagine he’ll have to won’t he, any race we can find we’ll run him in!
"You don’t have to do anything fancy on him, you can just bounce out and let him run his race.
"He’s ran well in some Group Ones in England but he’s just not got to it yet. I think if he gets proper soft ground it might just happen one day."
Art Power (6-5F) absolutely hacks up in the Group Two Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh. They grey's record at HQ is now a perfect four wins from four starts. pic.twitter.com/rAm0Ah9yle
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) July 22, 2023
Emily Dickinson kicked in the turbo to get back on the winning trail in the Comer Group International Curragh Cup.
The daughter of Dubawi was the spring favourite for the Gold Cup following an impressive start to her campaign in the Vintage Crop Stakes at Navan – and while a disappointing run in the Saval Beg dented her claims, she bounced back to finish a creditable fourth in last month's Royal Ascot showpiece.
Dropping in distance and class for this one-mile-six-furlong Group Two, Emily Dickinson was the 6-4 market leader to complete a quick-fire big-race double for Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore after Savethelastdance powered home from an unpromising position to secure the Irish Oaks.
Emily Dickinson looked like she too could have a real fight on her hands when her chief market rival Rosscarbery breezed into contention, but Moore kept pushing on the favourite and in the end she was well on top, passing the post with three lengths in hand.
The winner will now be readied for a tilt at the Al Shaqab Goodwood Cup on 1 August.
"The original plan was that she would go straight to Goodwood for the two-mile Group One, but when the ground changed we said we’d let her take her chance here," said O’Brien.
"Everyone was happy with her at home and that’s why she came here. I was a bit worried that she was a couple of pieces of work away but Ryan gave her a beautiful ride and got her very confident.
"She loves the ground and loves being ridden like that. With that ease in the ground she’s a different filly. She goes on the other ground, she’s very genuine and tries very hard, but on that ground she grows another leg.
"The plan was to go to Goodwood, over two miles, and if the ground came up with an ease in it she’ll be right there."
Emily Dickinson (6-4F) is a convincing winner of the Group Two Comer Group International Curragh Cup. pic.twitter.com/N1dHqvNLBS
— RTÉ Racing (@RTEracing) July 22, 2023
A trip to York could be next on the agenda for Kairyu after she kept her unbeaten record intact in the Jebel Ali Racecourse And Stables Anglesey Stakes.
A clear-cut winner on her racecourse debut at Naas last month, Michael O'Callaghan’s filly was a 4-1 shot for this six-and-a-half-furlong Group Three under Colin Keane.
Pearls And Rubies, the favourite after being beaten a head by Snellen in the Chesham at Royal Ascot last month, was under pressure some way from home – and while she responded to Ryan Moore’s urgings to get into second place, Kairyu had a length and a quarter in hand at the line.
O’Callaghan said: "She looks very smart. Colin said she doesn’t want that ground, it was plenty soft, and she was just good and tough.
"He said she has a savage turn of foot where she can go and put a race to bed. He said the gaps sort of appeared a little bit before he wanted them.
"She’s a lovely filly. I was thinking about going to the Duchess of Cambridge at Newmarket last week but I just wasn’t 100% happy with her work so we just waited another week.
"Colin thinks she’ll be better on better ground and she’ll probably go for something like the Lowther (at York) now.
"She’s still a little bit high behind and she’s going to grow plenty so she could potentially be a very nice filly."
Sunday's meeting at the Curragh must survive a 7.30am precautionary inspection due to the threat of heavy rain.
Saturday’s meeting began in decent conditions but by the time of the Juddmonte Irish Oaks, subsequently won in dramatic style by Savethelastdance, heavy rain had begun to fall.
It continued until the conclusion of the card and as a result the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board officials thought it was best to call an inspection to be on the safe side.
Brendan Sheridan, IHRB clerk of the course said: "We have had persistent heavy rain since the Irish Oaks earlier today and having spoken with Met Éireann, they are a bit unsure about how much further rain will fall at the Curragh overnight and into tomorrow.
"They said we could get anything from 8mm up to 15mm or more, it is just a bit uncertain at the moment. However, the track is currently raceable but we will hold a precautionary inspection at 7.30am tomorrow morning."
