The big money looks like staying at home

Curragh Preview: A prizemoney figure of just over €3.5 million makes this afternoon's Parknasilla Hotel Goffs Million meeting at the Curragh the richest race day in Europe and it kicks off a big race weekend that will be the most valuable ever run in Ireland.

A total of nine runners, including the big two of Yeats and Scorpion, have been declared for tomorrow's final classic of the Irish season, the Irish Field St Leger, while their trainer Aidan O'Brien will also have four of the 10 runners in tomorrow's Doncaster Leger into the bargain.

Throw in Sunday's National Stakes on the final day of the Curragh weekend, not to mention the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe trials at Longchamp where the Irish Derby hero Solider Of Fortune is expected to reappear, and it will be a hugely significant few days throughout Europe.

However, the focus today will be very much on home turf and won't so much be on top-flight Group One racing as the two hugely lucrative Goffs races which together are worth a massive €3.2 million and which remarkably won't feature a single runner from O'Brien's powerful Ballydoyle stable.

A cool million will go to the winner of each of the colts and fillies races and despite there being 11 British-trained runners in both, the real big money looks like staying at home.

The big race sponsors, Moira and Bernard McNamara, forked out €270,000 for Lisvale at last year's Million Sale and he can bring off a near 4 to 1 gamble for them as David Wachman's colt can prove best of the 19 runners, and indeed the 152 colts who went through the sales ring last October.

The big question mark surrounding Lisvale is the fast ground conditions. A course and distance maiden win here on Derby weekend, plus an impressive Listed success at Tipperary, were on much easier going than today's forecast "good to firm." There is nothing in the book however to suggest that he won't act on the surface and he looks the sort of progressive sort to cope with the likes of the Coventry Stakes third Luck Money.

Campfire Glow represents another 4 to 1 bet in the fillies race as the south Dublin businessman, Ronan Lambe, paid €250,000 for the Dermot Weld-trained runner at last year's sale where 170 fillies went through the ring.

A total of 23 have made it to the race and Campfire Glow's Group Two Debutante Stakes victory looks the single best bit of form. Weld elected to bypass the Moyglare Stud Stakes, where she looked to have a leading chance, in order to wait for the big pay-day and Campfire Glow can reward that policy.

As well as the two million races, Goffs are also throwing in a "mere" €100,000 for the Sportsman's Challenge and the better ground conditions should suit the maiden Lucies Pride who can make it third time lucky under Fran Berry.

The black type feature today is the Group Two Irish National Stud Blandford Stakes and with Red Bloom, the winner for the last two years, now retired, the way is open for a possible surprise. Over half the runners are from Britain but David Wachman throws both Magic Carpet and Navajo Moon at the event and the latter looks an interesting prospect.

Navajo Moon was a short head off her stable companion when both were placed behind Many Colours on their last start. However, Navajo Moon didn't get an ideal passage through the race and will be ideally suited by the fast conditions.

The ground and the trip will also be perfect for Flash McGahon in the premier handicap and the combination could cause a return to form for John Oxx's high-class sprinter.