1.40pm Curragh - Group 2 GAIN Railway Stakes
This is a pretty nice race to start the day, and given the fact that Aidan O'Brien is one winner off joining the great Vincent O'Brien with 14 winners in the contest, I think it is clear to see why he has a strong hand here.
I am all over Tunbridge Wells, who is bred to be a very smart type, and has looked the part on his two runs for Ballydoyle so far this season. A debut 2nd in a maiden at Navan saw him finish behind another smart type, and he was pretty slowly away and was kept at the back end of the field in the opening stages.
He made plenty of headway when switched to the outside with two furlongs or so to go, and although he did run on well in the closing stages, he was no match for the winner who was away and gone by 3 lengths as they crossed the line.
He put that experience to good use next time out at the Curragh, when breaking well and keeping up with the pace for the majority of the race, before surging clear in the closing stages to win the contest by a little under 3 lengths, again running on well in the closing stages and making it look very easy in the process.
He is bred to be another special type for the team, and given the fact he has two runs under his belt at this stage, I can't see him getting beaten now stepping into Group class for the very first time.
- Selection - Tunbridge Wells
3.25pm Curragh - Listed Colm McLoughlin Celebration Stakes
Dermot Weld's Azada could literally be anything: she was a 2½-lengthwinner on just her sole start as a two-year-old at Leopardstown, before being pitched straight into the Irish 1000 Guineas, where she ran a pretty creditable 6th. She was not beaten all that far in the end, by just a little under 6 lengths or so, but was very green in the opening stages so she would need to overcome that against some more experienced rivals today.
With that in mind I shall be siding with Dunum, who has come on in leaps and bounds with each race he has run in, and is now operating at the career-high mark of 103. A course winner who won a Galway Festival Premier Handicap last August, he also came 3rd in one just a few days before winning that Galway race, before then going on to come 2nd in another premier handicap at Leopardstown which on paper was a very good contest.
He has useful experience compared to the market leader, and he is a hardy type who will no doubt have a little more to come in this sort of company. Already with the run under his belt with a 3-length 6th in a nice handicap at the Curragh last time, he is more than ready to test the waters back in Listed company here on Sunday. I just think his experience will be seen to good effect here and he is the one to beat for me.
- Selection - Dunum
4.05pm Curragh - Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby
Ultimately we all know the Aidan O'Brien platoon will be very hard to stop here as he targets his 16th Irish Derby, by far the most in the race's history and almost one of the highest winning numbers for any Derby across the racing world.
However, I just think back form will come to the forefront here, as I can't see past Ambiente Friendly who has been excellent this season so far. Now Rob Havlin will have to be on his A-game come Sunday, as the Aidan O'Brien runners will no doubt try and stop him and given the way he travelled into the Derby at Epsom last time, he most certainly has the class edge here.
He won that Lingfield trial in very good fashion, the time was not too bad and since then Illinois has won the Queen's Vase at the Royal Meeting and looks to be a real St Leger type, so there is plenty of substance to the form of that Lingfield Trial race.
Ambiente Friendly was no match for City Of Troy in the Derby last time, but we all know the talent he very much has in the locker when on song, so there is no disgrace in that runner-up spot.
If he can overcome the many Aidan O'Brien runners, and is given a good enough ride from Rob Havlin, then they won't be able to peg him back. Ratings would suggest he is the best horse in the field, so if he is ridden effectively then he will not be stopped here come Sunday.
- Selection - Ambiente Friendly
All prices are from Planet Sport Bet and are subject to change
All previews and tips provided by @ Jake Russell