Deep into the summer of 2026, one of the big stories so far has been the hegemony of the O'Briens and while that could easily continue this weekend, the G1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks is far from certain to follow recent trends.Joseph has three in the Curragh mile-and-a-half Classic and Aidan has five, so it is a clear case of numerical superiority as well as having the right material with Owning Hill represented by the scintillating Oaks heroine Thundering On (Frankel). However, the trio that arrive in Kildare to disturb the waters happen to all be valid contenders and any one of Wathnan's Earth Shot (Time Test), Quantum Leap's Inis Mor (Galiway) and Newtown Anner's Sparan Nua (Dawn Approach) would not be winning out of turn.Joseph is expecting Shapoor Mistry's Epsom heroine to put a subsequent disappointment in the Pretty Polly behind her. “Going back up in trip should suit her well hopefully,” he said. “I don't think Dylan had any doubts about sticking with her and she has trained well since.”Earth Shot, who came from a narrow defeat by Inis Mor in Goodwood's Height of Fashion to deny Joseph O'Brien's fast-progressing Johanna Walsh (Sea The Stars) in Royal Ascot's Ribblesdale, hails from a stable with form here after William Haggas denied the home contingent with Sea Of Class in 2018. She would be a first Classic winner for Wathnan and racing manager Richard Brown is hoping she can make the breakthrough. “It'll be quick ground and I'm sure she might prefer it a bit easier, but it was quick when she won at Ascot and I don't think it will make much difference,” he said.“She showed signs of greenness in the closing stages and it took her a bit of time to gain momentum, but she was strong at the line and it was a very pleasing performance. I think she could probably go further than this, but it's a long way home and an uphill finish at the Curragh and I think this distance is perfect for her for now at a track which will suit her.”Jim Bolger has spent a while in the wilderness when it comes to big-race success and so the unbeaten Sparan Nua would be a welcome winner for the legendary trainer. Having beaten the older fillies and mares in the Munster Oaks, she has an edge over her peers in that regard but Bolger is still wary of her lack of race-hardness.“She probably has about the same ability as my previous winners, but she wouldn't be as well-tutored and I wouldn't be surprised if inexperience somehow let her down a little bit,” he said. “She's not a big filly and doesn't take a lot of work. She has a very good constitution, a good temperament and is very, very straightforward. She's a great ride so there is very little downside to her as far as temperament and anything like that is concerned.”Saturday's Curragh card begins with an always-important seven-furlong maiden for the colts and geldings won in recent times by The Lion In Winter, Henry Longfellow and Mac Swiney. Ryan Moore is on Speakers Corner, one of three Ballydoyle newcomers by Wootton Bassett, while Dermot Weld introduces Moyglare's Porto Vecchio (Frankel), a full-brother to their Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs.Sticking with the two-year-olds, Aidan O'Brien looks for a 16th renewal of the G2 Railway Stakes later on the fixture with the No Nay Never colts Confucius and Carry The Flag who both went to Royal Ascot, got beaten and have raced since with contrasting fortunes. This could have been a tough call for Moore, with Confucius turned over in the Anglesey but it is notable that he sticks with him.Saturday is a day for the sprint brigade, with The Curragh's G2 Sapphire Stakes playing host to Shapoor Mistry's King Charles III fourth Rosy Affair (Havana Grey) and Ballydoyle's disappointing Charles Darwin (No Nay Never), while at Newbury the G3 Hackwood Stakes sees the course-and-distance Carnarvon winner Song Of The Clyde (Sergei Prokofiev) bid to provide Clive Cox with more success in this sphere.The latter represents Middleham Park Racing and the racing manager Tim Palin said, “I think there's plenty more to come from him both mentally and, in particular, physically, and he was beaten only four lengths in the Commonwealth Cup so that was a hugely encouraging run. I'm not sure Ascot necessarily plays to this horse's strengths as well, as he's got a very high cruising speed. You wouldn't want it to get too quick, I think that was also a little bit of a factor at Ascot, it was very quick ground.”Sunday's action at The Curragh and Chantilly sees a trio of Group 2 contests, with the Prix Robert Papin bizarrely attracting just three runners and two from Joseph O'Brien's stable. They include the Windsor Castle winner King Of Cloughan (St Mark's Basilica), with the only home-trained runner coming from Amy Murphy's stable in the Prix du Bois winner Tokaido (Ubettabelieveit). The Aga Khan Studs TDN Rising Star Erdenali (Caravaggio) puts his reputation and unbeaten record on the line in the G3 Prix Messidor, while at The Curragh Amo Racing's Phoenix Stakes hero Power Blue (Space Blues) drops back from a mile to take on course specialist Big Gossey (Gutaifan) in the G2 Minstrel Stakes and last year's G2 Curragh Cup winner Al Riffa (Wootton Bassett) is back for his repeat bid on another big weekend for Joseph O'Brien.The post Intriguing Curragh Classic The Weekend Feature appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.