True Love powers home for Railway Stakes demolition
Aidan O'Brien had saddled 14 previous winners of the Group Two contest, with Rock Of Gibraltar (2001), George Washington (2005) and last year’s victor Henri Matisse (2024) among them, and it was significant his chief hope this time around was the sole filly in a field of four
Saturday 19 July 2025 17:47, UK
Royal Ascot heroine True Love showed her male counterparts the way home with a scintillating display in the GAIN Railway Stakes at the Curragh.
Having filled the runner-up spot on her first two starts, True Love (1-2 favourite) was an impressive winner of the Queen Mary Stakes and followed up in fine style, travelling strongly under Ryan Moore before quickening five lengths clear of stable Puerto Rico with the minimum of fuss.
O'Brien said: "Obviously she's fast so we weren't sure she'd get six (furlongs). I suppose we were finding out a little bit about her really.
"She was a Queen Mary winner so it was very hard for Ryan not to ride her. We couldn't be happier with her really.
"Obviously the Phoenix Stakes would be there for her as well as the Prix Morny and the Cheveley Park. It was a Group Two today and she'd be ready for one of those Group Ones now."
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Coolmore supremo John Magnier was making a rare appearance on track and said: "She's a good individual and she's very well bred, it's the Galileo family.
"Somebody told me that this is the first time in 30 years that a filly has won this race.
"There is a real pedigree there and a pedigree like that is like a road map, anything can happen."
Arizona Blaze sparkles in Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh
Arizona Blaze secured the biggest victory of his career to date in the Barberstown Castle Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.
Adrian Murray's charge has run a number of excellent races in top-class company, finishing on the podium in the Norfolk Stakes, Railway Stakes, Phoenix Stakes and at the Breeders' Cup last season, while just last month he finished a neck second to Time For Sandals in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot.
Also a dual Group Three winner, the Amo Racing-owned Arizona Blaze was a 9-4 joint-favourite for this Group Two assignment and having been positioned on the front end from the start David Egan, he finished off strongly to deny Ed Walker's hat-trick-seeking British raider Mgheera by two lengths.
Amo Racing supremo Kia Joorabchian said: "We've had a tough time at the Curragh. This guy deserved a big win, to be honest.
"He's been second in a Breeders' Cup and second in a Group One at Royal Ascot, this was a well-placed race for him.
"The ground was going a little bit softer than he'd like it because he likes really quick ground, but he just handled it very well.
"He's never run a bad race really. Adrian and Robson (Aguiar) have done an amazing job with him in the past two years.
"I probably have to thank Aidan (O'Brien) for not running a horse in this race!"
He added: "The entire team at Amo, whether it's in the UK or here, needed this little boost. We've had a little bit of a tough start to the season, but it's been good.
"You're in sport and I've been in sport all my life. Unfortunately in football it happens as well. You're going up for a big Champions League game and you get a hamstring, a knock or something goes wrong. You have to cope with those kind of moments and suck it in.
"This year we've had a very big investment in Freemason Lodge and a very big investment across the globe. That investment has to still show itself.
"We've had so many injuries this year - one after the other. We had a massive setback just recently with Ghostwriter, who unfortunately had an injury."
Coral cut Arizona Blaze to 8-1 from 12-1 for the Nunthorpe at York, with Paddy Power 10-1 from 20-1 about the Sprint Cup at Haydock.
Joorabchian said: "We haven't made any plans, this is a good moment for us.
"Everyone always said every time I came to the Curragh we always seemed to not get a winner, so I'm happy he's actually broken my duck.
"I think we'll aim for the Breeders' Cup. I think he'll get a Group One somewhere."
Al Riffa makes class count with stylish Curragh Cup win
Joseph O'Brien's Al Riffa stamped his class on the Michael John Kennedy Curragh Cup.
The dual Group One winner had played a supporting role in three previous outings this year, finishing third in the Neom Turf Cup in Saudi Arabia and fourth in the Prix Ganay in France before finding the globetrotting Rebel's Romance too strong Hardwicke Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Stepping up to a mile and three-quarters for the first time, the Dylan Browne McMonagle-ridden 4-5 favourite saw out the trip in some style, rocketing clear late on to claim Group Two honours by five lengths from Shackleton.
Stable representative Kevin Blake said: "That was brilliant, he's a horse with a lot of class and he was last to first in a National Stakes here in fairness to him.
"No one ever felt that he needed that trip, but it made sense. He was relaxed, Dylan said he was very easy to ride over that trip, he quickened up and it was really good.
"I'd say it's most likely that he'll go straight to the Irish Leger from here. There is a possibility of the Group One that he won in Berlin last year (Grosser Preis von Berlin), but I'd say it's more likely he'll go straight there.
"The Melbourne Cup is in the minds thereafter. We all know what comes with that but that would be what we'd like to do, if we're allowed."
Odds-on favourite New Zealand led home a one-two-three for Aidan O'Brien in the Juddmonte Chaldean Irish EBF Maiden.
Despite finishing only seventh on his debut at this venue three weeks ago, the Frankel colt was sent on his way the 10-11 favourite to open his account in a race won by Henry Longfellow and The Lion In Winter in the past two years and was soon bowling along in front under Ryan Moore.
He was under pressure from two furlongs down, but kept responding to his rider's urgings and had just enough up his sleeve to repel his previously unraced stablemate Issac Newton by a nose, with another Ballydoyle newcomer Action - a half-brother to dual Derby winner Lambourn - an eyecatching third.
Of the winner, O'Brien said: "He's a lovely big horse, he hasn't a clue what he's doing yet - he's massive, the power and the size of him.
"We'll go gentle and let him come on. He learned a lot from the first day, we liked him before that and he was very green. The first day he was a little bit slow away and you could see him today, he never travelled a yard.
"He's a big horse and he's all power. I know he's not short of speed, but he looks like a big, middle-distance horse."
The Ado McGuinness-trained Go Athletico (20-1) swooped fast and late under Shane Foley to claim top honours in the €100,000 Kwiff Supercharged Betting Scurry Handicap.
"It's a nice birthday present - I'm the big 60 today," said McGuinness.
"I suppose class is permanent and form is temporary and he did lose his form big time. He slipped back down and we were very disappointed with him.
"He's a good horse and he'll probably pitch up in Galway now in the Ahonoora Handicap, that's where he's going to do next."
Stop The Nation was a 15-2 winner of the Lavazza Sprint Nursery Handicap for trainer Jack Davison and 3lb claimer James Ryan.
"I had a baby boy at 23.59 last night and James Ryan lost his claim there. It's a real feel-good winner on many fronts," said Davison.
"He's a good colt and he's learning the whole time. He'll be a lovely horse for the Goffs Million."
