Curragh Irish Derby Festival Saturday tips: Best bets on day 2, June 29

They have eight races at the Curragh on Saturday, from 13:15-17:15, with the feature over 1m2f for Fillies' and Mares' due off at 15:30.

Irish tipster Enda McElhinney once more has race-by-race picks on day two at the Curragh for Planet Sport readers.

Don't forget to check out the full racecard, results and live odds in Planet Sport's racing live centre.

Good luck and please gamble responsibly.

(Please be aware selections could become non-runners after article's first publication)

 

Curragh Saturday selections in full:

13:15 (Curragh) Black Forza

13:45 (Curragh) Dynamic Force

14:20 (Curragh) January

14:55 (Curragh) Jan Brueghel

15:30 (Curragh) Bluestocking

16:05 (Curragh) Bialystok

16:40 (Curragh) Galen

17:15 (Curragh) John Steinbeck

13:15 (Curragh) Black Forza

All bar one of these are seeing the racecourse for the first time and Hazdann will have to improve generously on his Gowran Park debut to bag this for Dermot Weld.

He is, though, bred to better than that initial showing. Ballydoyle account for a trio, all with good credentials.

Ryan Moore is on Rock Of Cashel, while Half of Fame pilot John Velazquez is on Bernard Shaw – who cost $1,800,000 as a yearling.

For all that, Michael O'Callaghan's newcomers are usually ready to roll and £220,000 colt Black Forza might be an each-way angle into a testing starter for punters.

 

13:45 (Curragh) Dynamic Force

A dual 5f winner on turf in Britain in the summer of 2022, Dynamic Force is untested over this 6f trip since his juvenile season when he showed some good form at the distance.

Mostly competitive in a winter all-weather campaign from higher marks, he's of interest starting out for new trainer Fozzy Stack off this career-low rating.

14:20 (Curragh) January

The first of the Group-races is the Airlie Stud Stakes for fillies' over 6f and it's a puzzler.

California Dreamer and Truly Enchanting ran big races at Royal Ascot and should go well, while American Bar looked useful in a debut win at Listowel this month.

January was denied by Heavens Gate on debut over C&D and her stablemate put a positive slant on that form when third behind ultra-impressive Albany scorer Fairy Godmother last week.

This Kingman filly has since won her own Gowran Park maiden over 7f and a return to a strongly run 6f here should see her in a good light.

 

14:55 (Curragh) Jan Brueghel

Jan Brueghel looked well above average when torching some experienced rivals on his debut over C&D five weeks ago.

The Galileo colt is only going to improve on that now and looks an ideal sort for this quick rise in class representing top connections.

 

15:30 (Curragh) Bluestocking

The Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes is the main event on Saturday's card and UK raiders Emily Upjohn and Bluestocking are leading contenders.

The former was underwhelming in the Coronation Cup at Epsom, while Ralph Beckett's Camelot filly was very impressive in the Middleton Stakes at York last month.

She was the bridesmaid in the Irish Oaks over track and trip last summer and now looks ready to give Galway-born Rossa Ryan a first Group 1 winner on home soil.

 

16:05 (Curragh) Bialystok

Next up it's the Kildare Village Ladies Derby Handicap where a major claim is held by Bialystok for Willie Mullins and Jodie Townend, who claims a handy 3lb.

The gelding has raced exclusively over hurdles since joining the ranks at Closutton but his French Flat form for Jean-Claude Rouget was smart and he might have too much for these rivals.

 

16:40 (Curragh) Galen

Galen's runner-up effort behind City Of Troy in a 7f maiden here last summer needed no introduction and the Gleneagles colt was duly sent off favourite last month on his return in another maiden over that trip.

Joseph O'Brien's charge was unfortunate to bump into an impressive winner in Paddy Twomey's Super Sox, but did come clear of the rest in second spot.

He may not have to improve upped to the mile distance, but he likely will do just that under Dylan McMonagle.

 

17:15 (Curragh) John Steinbeck

A five-runner maiden to round things off. Arnaman was 100/1 runner-up at Dundalk on debut in March and a few winners have emerged from that race since.

Of the others with form, Joseph O'Brien's Emerald Eclipse is starting to look exposed and so the story goes that Ballydoyle newcomer John Steinbeck won't need to be any better than his breeding hints if he's to write a winning first chapter in his story.