Giant Sequoia aims to strengthen Derby case in Curragh Futurity
Aidan O’Brien will run Giant Sequoia in Saturday’s Coolmore Stud City Of Troy Tom Cooper Irish EBF Futurity Stakes at the Curragh as the Ballydoyle team seek another success in the historic juvenile feature.
The Frankel colt moved up the ante-post lists for next year’s Epsom Derby following an eye-catching performance on his most recent start and now tackles the Group Two Futurity, a race in which his trainer has enjoyed sustained dominance in recent seasons. The colt represents a new homebred interest for Resolute Racing in partnership with the Coolmore operation and will carry the colours of that association to Irish headquarters.
Field and form lines
The Futurity contains a compact field. Florida Bay, another O’Brien trainee who won the Tyros Stakes, provides Ballydoyle with a strong-looking companion for Giant Sequoia. Joseph O’Brien has two runners engaged in Green Dreamer and Nail House, while Paddy Twomey saddles City Of Dubai to complete the sextet.
Also declared is Nola Soul for Fozzy Stack, making his first start since landing the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. That success at Ascot is the most recent point of reference for a colt who has been campaigned among the pattern races and who could be expected to bring experience and a pattern-race attitude to the test.
Connections and campaign plans
Giant Sequoia is out of Pink Dogwood, a mare who previously ran second in the Oaks for O’Brien, and his placement in the Futurity is part of a juvenile programme that keeps an eye on Classic targets for 2027. The colt’s ownership structure combines the resources of the Coolmore partners with Resolute Racing, reflecting a trend among major operations to back promising youngsters with mixed ownerships.
Stack reports that Nola Soul has returned from Ascot in good order and that the colt should have room to show further improvement despite a break since his Royal meeting success. That Ascot form gives him a clear line into the Futurity and provides racegoers with an obvious reference point for his ability.
Juvenile fillies open the card
The Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes precedes the Futurity and brings together five two-year-old fillies. Aidan O’Brien fields Alpha, by Sea The Stars, who has finished placed on debut before following up with two wins and now bids for a hat-trick at Group Two level. The O’Brien operation has enjoyed considerable success in this juvenile fillies’ event over the years.
Joseph O’Brien supplies the remainder of the field with Blonde Over Blue, Dancing Destiny and Green Empress, while Ibelieveicanfly runs alongside Alpha for Ballydoyle. The race offers an early-season gauge of potential in the fillies’ division and could shape future entries at the major summer meetings.
Leger trial and further Ascot links
Later in the afternoon the Comer Group International Irish St. Leger Trial Stakes provides a testing stayers’ contest with Classic implications for the autumn. Likely contenders include Twomey’s Carmers, Joseph O’Brien’s Kizlyar — successful in the Ascot Stakes earlier in the season — and Aidan O’Brien’s Queenstown, who returns from a break after finishing second in the Prix Royal-Oak last October.
Kizlyar’s victory at Ascot remains a notable pointer when assessing form for the trial, underlining the continued relevance of Royal meeting performances as a form guide across the summer and into the autumn targets.
What to watch
- The clash between Ballydoyle juveniles in the Futurity and whether Giant Sequoia can justify his position among Derby hopefuls.
- Nola Soul’s readiness following his Chesham Stakes success at Royal Ascot and how that Ascot form translates back into pattern company at the Curragh.
- The development of the fillies in the Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes, particularly the Sea The Stars filly from Ballydoyle, who bids for a third consecutive win.
- How the Irish St. Leger Trial shapes the autumn staying picture, with Ascot Stakes form again of interest in the assessment of contenders.
The Curragh card on Saturday therefore dovetails neatly with the summer’s major meetings, providing both a continuation of Ascot’s influence on form lines and fresh clues for the Classic and staying contests to come.
