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World Pool Preview: Declan McDonagh keen on Sparan Nua's Irish Oaks chance
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Thu 16 Jul 2026
As well as hearing from Declan McDonagh ahead of the big race, Tote’s Jack Ready and Racing TV pundit Martin Dixon join Nial Hannity to look ahead to Saturday’s World Pool action from the Curragh where the Juddmonte Irish Oaks at 16:35 BST is the pick of nine races.
Dixon believes that it's a good renewal, as he explained: "The fact that we've got a high number of fillies – it's only the second time since 2017 when Enable won it that we've had a double-figure field – and that's indicative of the division being quite open.
"That might have been different if Thundering On had won a couple of weeks ago and backed up her Oaks win at Epsom. She might have scared a few away.
"But I think she is the one to beat. That performance at Epsom is head and shoulders above what these fillies have done so far in their careers.
"She was found to be coughing and not quite 100% after - but Joseph O'Brien wouldn't take any risks with her."
Ready, however, has a different view.
"How strong is the Epsom form?" he questioned. "I didn't see too many excuses in the Pretty Polly, and Legacy Link has let down the form as well in the Ribblesdale.
"I'd give Johanna Walsh a big chance, she's progressive, didn't do anything wrong at Ascot – she just got lonely, and got nabbed. She is straightforward."
One man hoping for a different result altogether is jockey Declan McDonagh who rides the Jim Bolger-trained Sparan Nua.
McDonagh said: "I'm looking forward to it. I think she's doing everything right, taking the right steps forward. It looks an open enough race
"She's adaptable groundwise, she won on very fast ground on her first start, and she has a lot of positives rather than negatives."
As well as previewing the feature race, the team in the studio also look ahead to the other major races on the card, including the Al Shira'aa Racing Meadow Court Stakes (Group 3) at 14:15 BST, the Tulfarris Hotel And Golf Resort Sapphire Stakes (Group 2) at 15:25 BST, and the GAIN Railway Stakes (Group 2) at 16:00 BST.
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