Curragh Irish Guineas Festival tips: Best bets for day 1 on Friday, May 24

Act one comes along on Friday evening, with racing at the Curragh from 16:45-20:20, and Enda McElhinney is here to take Planet Sport readers through all three days of the Irish Guineas Festival.

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)

 

Friday's Curragh selections in full:

16:45 (Curragh) Barton Key

17:15 (Curragh) Apricot Ice

17:50 (Curragh) Dance Night Andday

18:20 (Curragh) Galen

18:50 (Curragh) Ice Cold In Alex

19:20 (Curragh) Kayhana

19:50 (Curragh) Heavenly Power

20:20 (Curragh) Global Energy

16:45 (Curragh) Barton Key

Fozzy Stack's filly New Theory should be good enough to collect one of these before long, while Ger Lyons' newcomer No Such Thing is respected on debut despite a weight concession.

But the pick is Barton Key. Joseph O'Brien's son of Starspangledbanner appeared to find every avenue he explored under Dylan McMonagle was blocked on debut at Cork (5f, good) this month and the wide open expanses of the Curragh could see a major step forward.

 

17:15 (Curragh) Apricot Ice

This is a strong maiden, with Apricot Ice, Ebanza and Emerald Banner bringing useful form and plenty experience to the table.

Ger Lyons and Colin Keane team up with the Bated Breath filly Apricot Ice and it's possible to cut her some slack given her three maidens over further have yielded runner-up finishes behind Ballydoyle inmates.

None of those here today and that, allied to a drop in trip, may work the oracle.

17:50 (Curragh) Dance Night Andday

A few of these have doubts over them, while recent C&D apprentice handicap winner Transcendental isn't certain to be in the same mood here.

That helps build the case for Dance Night Andday. Ross O'Sullivan's filly remains low-mileage and made a winning seasonal bow at Naas (6f, good) earlier this month Colin Keane.

The champion jockey is on board once more and while the handicapper has put her up 8lb, she may well defy this rating.

 

18:20 (Curragh) Galen

Galen is a Gleneagles colt with plenty potential for Joseph O'Brien after being second in one run last summer behind no less than City Of Troy over C&D.

He forfeited a major tactical advantage to the subsequent champion 2YO and current Epsom Derby favourite, but emerged from the pack to chase him home.

This could be an optimal starting point and he should be ready to roll.

Paddy Twomey's filly Super Sox bumped into a smart gelding over a mile at Cork last month and has a part to play again.

18:50 (Curragh) Ice Cold In Alex

Expressova won nicely at Gowran Park last month and Joseph O'Brien's filly is respected despite an 8lb hike now, though she must prove she can run as well here given past efforts.

Ice Cold In Alex was second in this race last year behind Verhoyen, doing best behind the front-running winner.

Ken Condon's charge is now ten, but he has slipped 13lb below that mark he ran so well off 12 months ago.

His record fresh when he gets quick ground is also very promising and there might be a big run in him at a fancy price.

 

19:20 (Curragh) Kayhana

The day one feature race is the QuinnBet Emerald Mile Handicap, with €60,000 on offer for the winner and 15 contenders in the mix.

Harzand filly Kayhana found her groove last summer and was a close third in a warm handicap over C&D in August, travelling notably well.

She runs from the same mark now and the Aga Khan-owned filly could be one with more to come this season for Dermot Weld.

 

19:50 (Curragh) Heavenly Power

John Riggens is a consistent sort and could be set for a big effort after a couple of pipe openers, he has form over course and distance and is on a fair mark.

Heavenly Power is a former winner over C&D himself and the combination of heavy ground and it being his first run of the season here last month can be attributed to a rare below-par effort. He should come forward from that.

 

20:20 (Curragh) Global Energy

Global Energy has twice run well over further at Leopardstown since scoring over this track and trip in March.

The versatile five-year-old just squeezes into this off his current mark and looks one of the more likely sorts in a desperately tricky finale.