Star Performer of the Weekend
The first Group 1 on Saturday was for the fillies, in the Cheveley Park Stakes, and it was Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore who took the prize with favourite Lake Victoria. The Irish-trained filly led the nearside group for the whole contest and quickened away from the field in style as she claimed her second Group 1 crown by three lengths. Her next target looks to be the Fillies' Mile at Newmarket in October.
Next up was the Middle Park Stakes for Colts and early short price favourite, Whistlejacket, was drifting in the market all morning before eventually being sent off at 4/5. This was to be the story of the race for the Aidan O'Brien trained two-year-old, as he looked keen in the early stages and never looked like staying on to challenge eventual winner, Shadow Of Light. The Godolphin-owned colt doesn't hold any entries at the time of writing, but we could see him back out before the end of the season.
In Saturday's feature race, the Cambridgeshire Handicap, 31 runners went to post out of the maximum potential field of 35 after the track saw a deluge of rain that made the going softer than ideal. The prize was taken by top weighted Liberty Lane, trained by Karl Burke, who raced prominently in the far side group before being ridden by Clifford Lee to an easy advantage over James McHenry and Toimy Son. Ultimately, no one could catch the four-ear-old gelding and he went on to win by two and a half lengths. His next race looks to be the Balmoral Handicap at Ascot on Champions Day, where he's moved into 6/1 favouritism, having been 20/1 before his Cambridgeshire victory.
The Goffs Million was up next at the Curragh on Saturday afternoon, with a top prize of €485,000 on offer to the winner. The contest was taken by Apples And Bananas for Joseph O'Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle, who made all in the race and held off favourite Antelope Canyon for Aidan O'Brien and Wayne Lordan in their race to the line, as the pair drew clear from the rest of the field.
The Irish Cesarewitch took centre stage at the Curragh on Sunday and the maximum 30 runners went to post vying for the €324,000 on offer to the winner. Unsurprisingly, it was the dream team of Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore who claimed the spoils, with favourite The Euphrates. The three-year-old colt ran a strong race from the start and went to the front inside the final half a mile, he found his lead getting reduced inside the final furlong, but was always doing enough to win the contest ahead of A Piece Of Heaven for Joseph O'Brien. The Euphrates could head to the British Champions Long Distance Cup next time out, where he's been cut in price to 12/1 from 33/1 following his victory at the Curragh.
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