Jockey Wesley Joyce hoping for biggest pay-day of his career at hugely lucrative Curragh programme

Looking at Saturday’s Goffs Million action at the Curragh it’s hard to shake the sense that rarely in the field of racing competition have so few raced for so much.
Europe’s most valuable two-year-old purse comprises only 2023 Goffs Orby Sale graduates. And in terms of depth, some might suspect they might ordinarily have been assembled for one-tenth of the prize fund.
As it is, the 14-strong field, including three from Britain, and two that have never raced at all, is topped by Joseph O’Brien’s 100-rated Listed winner Apples And Bananas.
He is a likely favourite to scoop the bumper €500,000 first prize with place money going down to 10th in the seven-furlong contest that goes off at 3.45pm and is part of TG4′s final day Listowel coverage.
The same prize money spread applies in the other extravagant pot restricted to those catalogued at Ireland’s premier yearling sale a year ago. It means everyone in the furlong shorter Goffs 500 worth €500,000 will take home something.
Just 10 runners is a disappointing turnout for the new race introduced to cater for sprint-bred Orby purchases although it could result in a fairy-tale outcome for jockey Wesley Joyce.
The 21-year-old rider was on life support following a dreadful fall at the 2022 Galway festival and his return to action last season was a hugely uplifting outcome.
He teams up with Lightning Bear who went through the ring for just €5,000 and looks to have a first-rate chance of a bumper payout as well as securing his jockey the biggest cheque of his career.
It’s the sort of result that helps sell restricted races but considering One Look beat 22 others in last year’s Million, a field of 14 for the big race itself is disappointing.
The Lion In Winter would have been an overwhelming favourite had he not bruised a foot last week and the Ballydoyle team rely instead on Antelope Canyon and Garden of Eden.
However, Apples And Bananas, a Stakes winner in Deauville on his last start, and who tops a four-string team from Joseph O’Brien, can recoup a significant profit on his €130,000 purchase price.
The big money theme continues into Sunday at HQ where Europe’s most valuable flat handicap, the €600,000 Friends of the Curragh Irish Cesarewitch, has a large 30-strong field.
It is the third renewal of the hugely boosted race which was worth €80,000 in 2021 but is now a major prize thanks to backing from former Horse Racing Ireland chairman Joe Keeling among others.
The 2022 and 2023 editions ran the gamut of emotions with Wayne Lordan delivering a ride-of-the-year performance on favourite Waterville while Magellan Strait Sprang a 150-1 shock last year.
The latter is back and among seven Joseph O’Brien runners in a contest that also includes three British raiders.
O’Brien’s Nurburgring landed the Galway Hurdle during the summer and warmed up for this with a good effort behind Fighter at the Irish Champions Festival.
Spasiba, one of four Willie Mullins runners, was behind Nurburgring on that occasion but this half-a-mile further should suit. Mullins has booked Wayne Lordan on 8st 9lbs at the bottom of the weights and even over this distance, a stall two draw will be a plus.
There is €230,000 in prize money between the weekend’s three Group races at the Curragh with Aidan O’Brien pursuing a remarkable 22nd success in Saturday’s Montane Beresford Stakes.
The mile contest with luminaries such as Sea The Stars and Nijinsky on its roll of honour has a handful of starters with wide-margin Galway winner Trinity College appearing to be Ballydoyle’s number one.
His opposition includes Andrew Balding’s York winner Windlord while the form pick looks to be the Futurity runner-up, Hotazhell.
Ryan Moore will be back at the Curragh on Sunday where he teams up with The Euphrates in the Cesarewitch but also Heavens Gate in the Group Three Weld Park Stakes.
Fourth when favourite in York’s Lowther, before that she had won a restricted prize of her own in the Ballyhane and this looks like a good opportunity for some winning black type.
Listowel’s final day festival action ends with a bumper where Gavin Cromwell’s Addragoole could relish ground conditions more than most.