STAR-STUDDED LIMERICK OAKS FINAL IN STORE

Peter Farrell

The 2026 renewal of the Limerick Oaks has produced a final of outstanding quality, with six top-class runners going to traps tonight in pursuit of the €7,500 first prize.

Kindly sponsored by Mitchelstowndowns Construction, the J.P. & Pauline Ryan Limerick Oaks has lit up the Dock Road venue in recent weeks, and connections of all six finalists will be optimistic of landing the spoils around 9.40pm tonight. It is difficult to predict what will go traps as the favourite, although Pat Guilfoyle appears to hold the strongest hand with litter sisters Magical Poppet and Magical Hope.

Magical Poppet arrives in peak form and has been handed a favourable draw in trap two for the decider. A semi-final winner in 28.59, the daughter of Dorotas Wildcat – Magical Poppy combines fine early pace with abundant stamina and is likely to play a major role. She must, of course, contend with two fast starters on either side at trap rise, but if she negotiates that obstacle she will be halfway toward another major prize for her respected connections. Litter sister Magical Hope also has strong claims. A winner of 12 from 27 starts, the classy brindle ran well behind her kennel companion last weekend and should receive a clearer early passage with the Lennies Madge likely to start slowly on her outside. A sharper exit will be required, but ‘Hope’ rarely runs a poor race and commands plenty of respect.

ARROW CAN TAKE AIM

Arrow Twirl endured tricky opening rounds before taking off in the semi-finals, posting an excellent 28.47. Andrew Lawlor’s March pup was never threatened on that occasion, and connections will be pleased with a trap-one berth in the final. She is clearly progressing and, given the draw, is selected to build on last week’s performance, provided she breaks in a similar manner.

BADLY BIDDING FOR DUAL OAKS SUCCESS

Trained by Shaun Conway for the St-Patricks-Valencia-Crew-Syndicate, Badly Behaving seeks a third Oaks victory, having landed the Munster Oaks at Waterford in August, and the Galway Oaks in September. One of the best on her day, the daughter of Ballymac Cashout won her second-round heat in 28.50 and chased home Arrow Twirl in 28.57 last weekend. Consistent on the clock, she could set a blistering gallop from trap three if repeating her sub-1.30 sectional.

MADGE & ABI TO FINISH FAST

On raw speed, Lennies Madge tops the bill. The Paul Hennessy-trained runner, owned by Lee Craze, has produced outstanding times throughout her career, but her trapping has been her Achilles heel throughout this event. She has made eye-catching late ground each night to qualify yet cannot continue producing mid-1.40 sectionals. Drawn in six as the sole wide runner, she would be difficult to beat with a sharper start, although recent runs suggest a flying break may not be imminent. That leaves the most unexposed finalist, Rossa Abi. Bred, owned and trained by Thomas O’Donovan, she has come of age in this stake and enters just her tenth start with genuine claims. A first-round winner in 28.65, she has finished runner-up in both subsequent rounds and was particularly impressive last week, coming from off the pace to push Magical Poppet all the way. Trap four is a concern, however, and a swift exit will be crucial.

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KILCOLGAN CASTLE A3 DECIDER SERVES AS THE SUPPORTING ACT

Kindly sponsored by Karen Geoghegan, who is also currently backing the Galway Derby, the Kilcolgan Castle A3 525 provides the main support race on the card, and Zenith Glory is expected to go close in the €1,500-to-the-winner decider.

Trained by Corona Ryan for Birol Nadir and Paddy Kehoe, Zenith Glory won his semi-final in 28.73 and should improve for the outing, given it was his first start since November of last year. The son of King Sheeran displayed sharp early pace on that occasion and has drawn the ideal berth in trap three for the final. If trapping in similar fashion, Ryan’s runner can make it four wins from just six career starts. His chief threats include Darocketman, who finished strongly last time out, while Rallying Syd also impressed for Neilus O’Connell in the semi-finals.