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Juddmonte to sponsor Irish Oaks

Juddmonte will sponsor the Irish Oaks for the next three years. Ireland’s premier race for fillies will take place at The Curragh on Saturday 18th July this year.

Juddmonte have enjoyed a long and successful association with the Curragh since 1988 when it first sponsored the Gr.2 Beresford Stakes, and in 2018 Juddmonte became a Group 1 sponsor with the Pretty Polly Stakes.

The colours of Juddmonte owner Prince Khalid Abdullah have been carried to victory in the Irish Oaks on three occasions with Enable in 2017, Bolas in 1994 and Wemyss Bight in 1993.

Many of the Curragh’s other top races have carried his famous racing silks most notably by this year’s Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas winner Siskin, while he landed the same race with Kingman in 2014 and Commander in Chief won the Irish Derby in 1993.

This year Prince Khalid could be represented by homebred fillies Quadrilateral, a daughter of Frankel and a Group 1 winning two-year-old, and Pocket Square. They both feature among the impressive list of entries, which also include English 1000 Guineas winner Love and recent Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas winner Peaceful. Other notable entries include Albigna, Alpine Star, Born with Pride, Cayenne Pepper, Fancy Blue and New York Girl, together with recent winners Snow and Moll who were both entered at the recent second entry stage.

Other significant previous winners of the Irish Oaks include Sariska, Snow Fairy, Blue Bunting, Ouija Board, Sea of Class and Seventh Heaven, while the John Gosden trained Star Catcher gave Frankie Dettori victory last year.

Pat Keogh, Chief Executive The Curragh, commented: “We are very grateful to His Highness Prince Khalid and the team at Juddmonte for their generous support of the Curragh. These are very challenging times for all of us and having a great name like Juddmonte sponsoring the Irish Oaks is a great vote of confidence for Irish racing. Juddmonte’s global operation has been associated with some of the greatest thoroughbred horses of our time and is synonymous with quality and prestige which connects well to the sponsorship of an Irish Classic race.”

Douglas Erskine Crum, Chief Executive Juddmonte, said: “Juddmonte is very supportive of The Curragh and we are delighted to sponsor this prestigious Classic for the first time. We feel strongly that Juddmonte should demonstrate our support and appreciation of Irish racing and breeding.”