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Reports22 July 2023

'He just livens up coming here' - Art Power impresses again as he keeps up his perfect Irish record

Art Power and David Allen saunter to victory in the Group 2 Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes
Art Power and David Allan saunter to victoryCredit: Patrick McCann

Art Power extended his remarkable Irish record with a dominant display under David Allan in the Group 2 Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes. 

The son of Dark Angel has won his five starts in Ireland for Tim Easterby, with the last four of them all coming at the Curragh.

After what looked a testing race in the July Cup last week, Art Power made light of a drop in trip to win by four and a quarter lengths.

Allan said: "He just livens up coming here and down at the start I could feel him coming to life. Getting a lead today probably did him the world of good, it kept him concentrated and gave him something to race with. 

"When I let go of his head it's probably the most impressed I've been with him. The way he travelled there, you would think that if it came up really soft in one of those Group 1s it would be right up his street."

Lowther possible for Kairyu  

The Michael O'Callaghan-trained Kairyu remains unbeaten in two starts after landing the Group 3 Jebel Ali-sponsored Anglesey Stakes under champion jockey Colin Keane.

The yard has had some near misses with  juveniles this season, but the daughter of Kuroshio, impressive on her debut at Naas, followed up to defeat a strong field. 

She even overcame hitting the front too soon, showing greenness in doing so, but in the last 50 yards she took command again to beat Chesham Stakes runner-up Pearls And Rubies by a length and a quarter. A tilt at next month's Lowther Stakes at York could be next for her.

O'Callaghan said: "She looks very smart. Colin said she doesn't want that ground; it was soft enough for her. The gap appeared a little before he wanted it and she got a bit lonely, but he felt that she relaxed so well that she could go up to 7f. She was good and tough today.

"I was thinking about going to Newmarket last week but I just wasn't completely happy with a piece of work she did, so we waited for today. We will probably go for something like the Lowther now and see where that takes us."

Aidan O'Brien had to settle for second place with Pearls And Rubies, but earlier he introduced a potentially talented colt in the opening maiden in Henry Longfellow. 

A son of Dubawi and dual Classic winner Minding, he showed impressive speed to win by a length and three-quarters under Ryan Moore and was cut to 20-1 by Paddy Power for the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby. 

"He had been working well and came on the scene really over the last three weeks. He's an exciting type of horse," said O'Brien. 

'She grows a leg on soft ground'

Ascot Gold Cup fourth Emily Dickinson bounced back to winning ways in the Group 2 Comer Group International Curragh Cup and may well line up in the Goodwood Cup.

The softer ground was credited for a convincing victory under Moore as she stayed on strongly up the hill to beat market rival Rosscarbery by three lengths. 

Aidan O'Brien said: "She would give a good horse a very hard time on that ground. She runs well on good ground, but she grows a leg on soft ground. 

"She has the class to be ridden patiently. We will see what way the ground comes up at Goodwood. If she doesn't go there, she has races like the Irish St Leger and the stayers' race on Champions Day at Ascot."


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