Horse Racing
Punters Eye Sunday Curragh Treble With Aidan O’Brien Hot-Pots – Bedtime Story, Henri Matisse and Kyprios
Andy is a horse racing journalist and betting expert who specializes in trends and stats. With his long association with TrainersQuotes and FromTheStables, Andy has also built up solid contacts with some of the best stables in the UK. Has written for GeeGeez and bookmakers Matchbook and BetBright in the past too, plus was the former sports betting editor of odds comparison site Easyodds and Juicestorm. Has also appeared on betting podcasts for MatchBook and has featured in the popular Weatherbys Cheltenham Festival Guide in the past. Andy's also ghost written for former top jockey Richard Dunwoody and continues to have a monthly column in the Racing Ahead horse racing magazine. Now a regular on Sportscasting giving his views, trends and tips mainly on horse racing - if there's a stat to be explored and it's a sport, Andy is sure to find a betting angle to use.
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Top horse racing trainer Aidan O’Brien looks set to have one of his biggest weekends of 2024 – both in the UK and Ireland – with the Doncaster St Leger Meeting and it also being Irish Champions Festival weekend.
There are many supposed ‘Ballyboyle bankers’ to look out for over the two days of top flat horse racing action – but on Sunday at the Curragh punters will be keeping a close eye on three of his hot-pots – Bedtime Story, Henri Matisse and Kyprios – and perming them all up to win at around 5/1.
Bedtime Story, Henri Matisse and Kyprios All Big Fancies At The Curragh On Sunday
In true Willie Mullins Cheltenham Festival-style, punters this weekend will be perming-up a lot of the big Aidan O’Brien Irish Champions Festival Weekend and Doncaster St Leger runners hoping to hit the jackpot.
On Saturday O’Brien has three of the seven runners in the British St Leger at Donny in Illinois, Jan Brueghel and Grosvenor Square – plus the likes of Delacroix, Diego Valazquez and Auguste Rodin in the Irish Champion Stakes – all at Leopardstown.
However, with the Champions Meeting in Ireland continuing into Sunday at the Curragh, there are three more big names on show for Aidan O’Brien – all of which are sure to figure in a bundle of trebles and accas for horse racing fans.
The three horses in question are his exciting 2 year-olds Bedtime Story (Moyglare Stud Stakes), Henri Matisse (Vincent O’Brien National Stakes) and Kyprios (Irish St Leger).
With the treble paying around 5/1 with the best horse racing betting sites in the UK – this looks a return that will surely tempt a lot of punters in – but can all three win?
3:00 – Moyglare Stud Stakes (Group 1) (Fillies) (2yo) 7f: BEDTIME STORY
Trainer Aidan O’Brien has won the Moyglare Stud Stakes nine times over the years – but his most recent was now back in 2019 with Love.
He’ll be trying to end that mini-drought in the race with Bedtime Story – who is already one of the big fancies for next year’s 1000 Guineas at Newmarket.
This Frankel filly got people’s attention with a facile 9 1/2 length win in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, but since then – despite winning twice – hasn’t done so in the way many thought.
She’s been sent off 1/16 in both races and Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown in July and last time only just got home (watch below) by 1/2 a length in the Debutante Stakes here at the Curragh.
Bedtime Story will take on the horse she beat in those last two races – stablemate Exactly – again, but this time will also face a tougher challenge from the promising Red Letter and Simmering.
4:10 – Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes (Group 1) (No Geldings) (2yo) 7f: HENRI MATISSE
If Bedtime Story wins the Moyglare then the bookmakers will start to get a bit twitchy with another hot-pot and unbeaten O’Brien horse in Henri Matisse up next.
This Wootton Bassett colt is 3-from-3 so far in his career and will that trio of wins all coming here at the Curragh the track will be fine on Sunday.
Two wins came over 6f, but he looked better than even winning over this 7f last time (Futurity Stakes) and having also looked a tad green that day – can also be expected to have a lot more improvement to come.
This is a race that remarkably Aidan O’Brien has won 12 times and is closing in by the year on the record haul of the race’s namesake Vincent – who bagged 15 successes in this race.
Henri Matisse the general second favourite in the 2025 2000 Guineas market, but another promising win here and we can expect him to firm up in the betting.
4:45 – Comer Group International Irish St. Leger (Group 1) (3yo+) 1m6: KYPRIOS
So, it goes without saying that, if we get to 4:45 on Sunday afternoon with Bedtime Story and Henri Matisse having both won – then it’s serious ‘squeaky bum’ time for the bookies now with O’Brien’s star stayer Kyprios the final leg of the Curragh treble.
Kyprios, who won this race in 2022, was, however, beaten in this race 12 months ago – but in his defence was coming back off a seriously long lay-off and almost didn’t race again.
He’s proved the decision to keep him racing the right one since though – winning four times this year, including the Ascot Gold Cup and Goodwood Cup (watch below).
The O’Brien star stayer will be all the rage to win for the fifth time this season but will face a big test with the Marco Botti runner Giavellotto.
This 5 year-old was a tidy winner of the Yorkshire Cup in May and last time backed that up with a 3 1/4-length win in the Princess Of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket.
Giavellotto will certaiinly have the speed edge on Kyprios over this trip, but if the the 2022 winner of this race is able to keep tabs on the British raider and get into a staying fight in the final stages – you feel there will only be one winner.
Which could send the bookies home crying into their Sunday roasts.