Racehorse Trainer Aidan O’Brien gave a ringing endorsement of the Curragh racecourse as the best in the world as preparations enter the final stages for next weekend’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh.
“The Curragh suits every horse and that is what makes it such a unique track,” he said speaking to media ahead of the big race.
“It is a big, galloping, straightforward, track and there’s no excuses for anyone there. Epsom can be tricky and it can be tactical but the Curragh is usually very straightforward.”
“Because it is not that tactical at the Curragh it is probably the most important Derby because it is the horse with the most pure ability that will win. We are very lucky to have such a facility in Ireland, the Curragh is probably the best racecourse in the world.”
The first two horse home in the Investec sponsored Irish Derby will renew rivalry on Saturday with O’Brien’s US Army Ranger the marginal favourite in betting markets to overturn his Epsom conqueror Harland, trained within shouting distance of the Curragh by Dermot Weld.”
Dubai Duty Free have sponsored the race for the past nine years, it having been run under the Budweiser banner for the previous 21. Other sponsors on the weekend include Volvo, DoneDeal, Paddy Power, RTÉ and the irish Independent.
The Curragh currently lists 51 individual sponsoring companies for its racing programme through the year.
This will be the final year in which the race is run before the old grandstand facilities with a major new development of the track planned to get underway in the next 12 months.
