Jan Brueghel and Calandagan set for round two clash in Ascot's King George
British racing's midsummer highlight – and at £1.5 million (over €1.7 million) the most valuable race ever run at Ascot – will stage the latest clash between the pair that fought out a memorable finish to last month's Coronation Cup.
On that occasion, last year's St Leger hero Jan Brueghel delivered a doughty performance to win by half-a-length for
Aidan O'Brien
and Ryan Moore.
Since then, his French rival has impressed with a Group One victory of his own in the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud, when he emphatically ended a streak of four runner-up placings.
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It helped quash some doubters of Calandagan's resolution after he was outstayed by the Irish winner on easy going at Epsom.
Conditions look like being quicker this weekend over the course and distance Calandagan impressed when landing last year's King Edward VII Stakes.
Just eight entries were left in the King George at Monday's acceptance stage, half of them from O'Brien. They include the dual-Derby hero Lambourn and Whirl, winner of the Pretty Polly Stakes, although the trainer has indicated both will skip Ascot to wait for other assignments.
Jessica Harrington
left in Green Impact, sixth to Lambourn in last month's Irish Derby, while Kalpana, runner-up to Whirl on her last start at the Curragh, is on course to try her repeat her Group One success at Ascot last autumn.
Barry Mahon, racing manager for Kalpana's Juddmonte ownership said: 'She is all systems go for the King George. This has been her intended target since her last run in Ireland, and she is in good shape.
'I think her two runs this year have been very solid. We know she is proven over a mile and a half on soft ground, so for her to produce those performances over 10 furlongs on quicker ground is very promising.
'We would be hopeful of a strong showing on Saturday back over 12 furlongs, for all it looks a competitive race. Calandagan is a top-class horse, and we all saw what Jan Brueghel did at Epsom.'
Bookmakers struggled to split Jan Brueghel and Calandagan after Monday's entry, with some making the pair 15-8 joint-favourites.
In other news, advance ticket sales for next week's Galway festival are up, with significant cross-channel interest for the weekend action.
Galway's chief executive Michael Moloney believes the summer showpiece is benefiting from an overall trend of greater numbers of racegoers coming from Britain for big racing festivals here.
'We've seen UK attendances increase at other Irish festivals and I think we get that bounce, too, coming into the weekend. They take the opportunity to come over and it's great to get it,' he said on Monday.
February's Dublin Racing Festival, in particular, has seen a surge of cross-channel racegoers with up to 38 per cent of overall attendance made up of visitors last year.
Moloney said that hospitality for one of the most famous racing dates of the year in Ireland has all but sold out.
Last year's festival attendance at Ballybrit reached 116,374 over the seven days. That was a significant drop from 122,362 in 2023, but on a par with 2022. The two years prior to that were held behind closed doors due to the Covid pandemic. Almost 150,000 attended a decade ago.
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Irish Times
12 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Hopes high that Galway will continue trend in increased attendances for week-long festival
The Galway races kick-off on Monday with fingers tightly crossed that the weather gods play ball enough to encourage bumper attendance levels at perhaps Irish racing's most distinctive week of the year. Horse Racing Ireland's recently released half-yearly statistics showed a 6.9 per cent increase on overall crowd figures at Ireland's racecourses in the first six months of 2025. Admittedly a quarter of that came in just five days at the Punchestown festival, where a tally of 136,651 was up a massive 15 per cent on 2024, a hike hardly coincidental with superb weather. The odds on a week in the west of Ireland enjoying similar good fortune are probably too long for most punters who will send about €1 million a day washing around the Ballybrit betting ring. READ MORE The Galway authorities are predicting a mainly dry outlook until, sure enough, rain develops in time for Thursday's traditional Ladies' Day highlight. It's nearly 20 years since 46,000 squeezed into their Ballybrit finery for that date at the height of Celtic Tiger excess, when well over 200,000 would regularly cram into Galway's seven days. In contrast, last year's overall attendance of 116,374 was a significant slip from the previous year's 122,367, although largely in line with recent overall trends. Nevertheless, a festival with an over 150-year history remains high-profile and will have all eyes turning west for 53 races worth €2.1 million and containing historic prizes such as Wednesday's Galway Plate and the following day's big Hurdle. Each of those is worth €270,000 but last year's statistic that 30 different trainers were successful during the week's action underlines how the festival offers a stage to not just the sport's big guns. A counter argument to that could be how a lot of the races on the increasingly rare mixed cards simply don't figure on the big name's radar. Ultimately, Willie Mullins was still the festival's leading trainer last year, just ahead of Joseph O'Brien . It's a role he has filled since 2016 when taking over from Dermot Weld as 'King of Ballybrit'. Sure enough, Mullins and O'Brien are at the top of ante-post lists for Monday's €110,000 feature, the Connacht Hotel Handicap. Trainer Emmet Mullins has enjoyed success at the Galway Festival is recent years. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho Widely regarded as Ireland's 'amateur Derby' Mullins has won it five times in the last eight years. In the same time frame his brother Tony was successful with Princess Zoe (2020) while the champion jump trainer's nephew Emmet scored two years ago with Teed Up. The latter, in association with the Mee ownership, has become a big festival player in recent years and he has a trio of hopefuls this time, including the fancied Toll Stone under leading amateur John Gleeson. Nevertheless, his uncle's 50-1 shocker with Sirius a year ago underlines how anything the 'King' runs in Ballybrit must be respected. This time he has two shots at it and Patrick Mullins, who finally broke his duck in the race aboard Echoes In Rain three years ago, is aboard Too Bossy For Us. Jody Townend, successful on Great White Shark in 2029, is on Plontier. There will be no more popular winner, though, than the sole Weld hope, Falcon Eight. He will be ridden by Paddy Smullen, son of the late great champion jockey Pat, in a partnership that evokes memories of so many famous Ballybrit victories. It is 61 years since a teenage Weld won the race as a rider on Ticonderoga. Four years ago he trained the winner for an eighth time with Coltor. To have his former ally's son win it on his charge would surely rank with anything in Weld's groundbreaking Galway career. There is a cross-channel hopeful in Wahraan, trained in Yorkshire by Jessica Bedi, and Comfort Zone is one of a quartet of runners for champion owner JP McManus. From a punting perspective though this could give Gordon Elliott a first shot at filling in some Galway festival big race blanks this week. The Co Meath trainer holds a joint-record four victories in the Galway Plate. Down Memory Lane is among the favourites to give him the record on his own in the week's big steeplechase. In contrast Elliott has yet to land a Galway Hurdle despite throwing over 30 runners at the race over the years. Runner-up last season with Ndaawi, Elliott also finished second three years in a row between 2012-14. Dirar was twice third in 2010 and 2011. Shajack's third two years ago is the closest Elliott has got to landing Monday's big amateur prize but Familiar Dreams could put that right. Originally bought for just 4,000 Guineas, she was sold to Qatar Racing for €310,000 after a spectacular bumper career and has since won at Grade Three level over flights for her new ownership. Back on the level, she could prove very competitive off a mark of 93 and Josh Williamson takes a valuable 7lbs allowance off.
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Irish Times
Kerry unveil another final masterpiece to leave Donegal standing
All-Ireland SFC final: Kerry 1-26 Donegal 0-19 The oldest tale in the All-Ireland book never ages any further in the telling. Kerry, doubted at various stages of this year's championship, arrived in Croke Park on Sunday and unleashed a vital performance that swept them to a 39th All-Ireland title. The story ended with an emphatic full stop, as Joe O'Connor, one of the players of the championship, crashed home a goal in the last minute to extend their winning margin to 10, a fair reflection on a match they set about dominating from the opening seconds. Hugely impressive captain Gavin White sprang onto the ball when the throw-in broke and sped up the field to making the scoring pass for Dylan Geaney. Kerry one up, 12 seconds on the clock. From then on, they were never led until the final hooter went on the 2025 championship. White went on to be exceptional in his support runs and cover. As usual with this team, it was a forward-led triumph although there were excellent performances all over the field. David Clifford ended the day with 0-9, another superb contribution to his imminent Footballer of the Year recognition. READ MORE But his performance was as integrated as a cog in the machine, drifting wide, acting as a decoy to pull the Donegal defence out and leaving room for others to do mischief. Kerry's Joe O'Connor fields a kickout during the All-Ireland SFC final against Donegal at Croke Park. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho His brother, Paudie also had an immensely effective match – 76 possessions! – enabled by the opposition's laissez faire approach to marking him. He held the ball up and picked his passes, at times with breath-taking perceptiveness, as when he fired a scoring pass into his brother just after half-time. Five minutes later he popped up on the end of a brilliantly dexterous move, featuring a basketball tap down by Mark O'Shea to his namesake Sean, who supplied the final assist. Donegal can't say they weren't on notice. On this occasion the 15-minute scoring blitz from Kerry came at the start of the match and left them 0-13 to 0-4 ahead. They dominated possession, and their sprightly runners always threatened a score when attacking, finding gaps in the opposition's zonal defence and routinely creating alarm. Paudie Clifford bombed a ball in as early as the third minute which Seán O'Brien got under to fist a point. Donegal struggled to stay in touch but Oisín Gallen kicked three first-half points and Michael Murphy also tried to make things happen. By the eighth minute, he kicked a free to narrow the margin to one, 0-4 to 0-3 but then, boom! Kerry won the rest of the quarter, nine points to one. Kerry's David Clifford kicks a two-pointer despite the efforts of Brendan McCole of Donegal. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho Earlier in the year, Jack O'Connor was always explaining why his team didn't avail of more two-pointers. By the end of the championship, Kerry had become brand leaders in the new, enhanced scores. Four were scored in the first half – three by Clifford and one by Seán O'Shea. They fell like hammer blows on the knuckles of a Donegal team hanging on to a ledge, by their fingertips. When the hooter went for half-time, Kerry were playing keep ball and Brendan McCole was eyeballing David Clifford, determined that he wouldn't get loose for a last shot before the break. But Clifford moved suddenly, took the ball from Seán O'Shea and lamped over a two-pointer for a 0-17 to 0-10 interval lead. Donegal were unable to respond, their attacks too ponderous and unable to get their hands on the ball – they retained nine of their 21 kick-outs whereas Kerry were nine from 11. They also failed to make their customary turnovers and when they did there was little of the searing pace in the counter-attacks that had been a prime energy source in the semi-final. Kerry's Gavin White with Jamie Brennan of Donegal. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho For a team with no shortage of good long-range kickers, they also never looked even interested in engaging with the two-pointers despite the scoreboard taking them to a place where they needed to make quick inroads. To demoralise Jim McGuinness's team further, Seán O'Shea kicked a point within 20 seconds of the restart. Donegal came into the match more at centrefield where replacement Jason McGee made a difference and they had a scoreboard run of 0-5 to 0-1 to cut the margin to four, 0-21 to 0-17. Yet the position felt false. 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For manager Jack O'Connor, who announced that he would not be seeking a further appointment, it was an immensely satisfying win, his fifth All-Ireland title over the 21 years since he first landed Sam Maguire. He sent out a team that gave its best display of the championship on the biggest day of the year. Yet again he has completed a league and championship double – also his fifth – and the All-Ireland run-in was a stark illustration of how comprehensively he had mastered the Ulster threat with wins over the province's top three contenders, All-Ireland champions Armagh, Tyrone and now, Ulster champions Donegal. Kerry: S Ryan; P Murphy, J Foley, D Casey; B Ó Beaglaoich, G White (capt; 0-0-3), M Breen; S O'Brien (0-0-2), M O'Shea; J O'Connor (1-0-0), S O'Shea (0-2-3 2f), G O'Sullivan, D Clifford (0-3-3), P Clifford (0-0-3), D Geaney (0-0-2). Subs: D O'Connor for O'Brien (50 mins), K Spillane for Geaney (54 mins), E Looney for Ó Beaglaoich (63 mins), T Morley for Breen (65 mins), M Burns for O'Sullivan (69 mins). Donegal: S Patton; C McColgan, F Roarty, B McCole; R McHugh, EB Gallagher, P Mogan; C McGonagle (0-0-1), M Langan; C Moore, C Thompson, S O'Donnell (0-0-3); C O'Donnell (0-0-3), M Murphy (0-0-8 6f), O Gallen (0-0-3). Subs: D Ó Baoill (0-0-1) for Thompson (23 mins), H McFadden for McColgan (half-time), J McGee for McHugh (41 mins), P McBrearty for Gallen (50 mins), J Brennan for Gallagher (59 mins). Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Irish Times
Jonathan Keane becomes first Lahinch local to win South of Ireland in 57 years
Jonathan Keane became the first Lahinch local to win the Pierse Motors South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship since 1968 on Sunday. The 25-year-old claimed a 1 up victory over Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty, the 2018 champion before emotional scenes in front of hundreds of spectators surrounding the 18th green in Lahinch. Keane was embraced by family and friends as well as JD Smyth, who won this tournament 57 years ago. Jonathan Keane celebrates after winning the South of Ireland with the last local winner JD Smyth. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho 'Absolutely delighted, this has been my dream since I joined this golf club and for it to come true it's absolutely unbelievable. Just thrilled,' said Keane. READ MORE 'I felt good over it [the putt on 18] because I have had that putt loads of times before, that back left pin. Just knew what to do. I wasn't feeling any nerves or anything, just feeling 100 per cent confident. 'It was just shock for about five seconds.' Rafferty had all of the experience coming into the final but it was Keane who took the early advantage winning the third and fourth holes. They traded holes before the end of the front nine and Keane took a 2up lead into the turn. The crowd continued to swell as the afternoon wore on and the tension grew in an enthralling contest. Rafferty got one back on 11 but the Kilfenora man bounced right back on 12. When Rafferty won 15 and 16 it looked as though he would push on but Keane held his nerve on 17 to sink an eight-foot putt. His brilliance on 18 left him with six feet for the win and he duly obliged before massive celebrations. Keane spoke about spending almost three years out of the game with herniated discs, from too much gym work and trying to drive the ball an absolute mile, the 'Bryson DeChambeau effect', he said. 'Some nights you'd be waking up with pain, couldn't fall asleep. So it's just unbelievable now that I've come back from that and managed to win the competition I've always dreamt of.'
