Who won the 18:45 Curragh on 26 June 2026?
Darius Dark (IRE) won the 18:45 Curragh at SP 4.00. Ridden by Rory Mulligan. Trained by J P Murtagh.
18:45 Curragh
IrelandFitzpatrick's Mercedes-Benz Apprentice Derby Handicap
1m4f · Flat · Good To Firm · 13 runners · €17,670 · Friday, 26 June 2026
Result
AI top pick was a non-runnerRace report
- 1stDarius Dark (IRE)Rory Mulligan·J P Murtagh3/1F·4.00SP
- 2ndKeepsgettingbetter (IRE)Paddy Harnett·Donnacha Aidan O'Brien·beaten 0.3 lengths7/2·4.50SP
- 3rdCeltic Druid (IRE)Sadhbh Tormey·T G McCourt·beaten .5 lengths18/1·19.00SP
Race time
2m 33.14s+1.24s vs std
Slightly slow — minor pace variance, nothing to read into.
In-running (Darius Dark (IRE))
“Tracked the leaders - moved into 3rd under 4f out - pushed along to the front 2f out - ridden 1.5f out, clear 1f out - stayed on resolutely as the advantage narrowed close home”
Settled · 1pt level stake = 3.00 pt return on the winnerTipping P&L →
Furlong's verdict
Reading the form…
AI-written, grounded in our data on this race. May be wrong. Verify before staking. Opinion, not advice.
Pundit corner
Racing Post · third-partyPundit pick: Keepsgettingbetter
Keepsgettingbetter has two wins in her last five starts and finished a length behind the winner last time off a lower mark; she is progressive and acts at a mile to a mile and a half on good and all-weather. A first-time tongue-tie is added and the trainer and jockey combination inspire confidence. Granville Street, Royal Alliance and Faro Island are the dangers — each has recent placed form and conditions to suit. Keepsgettingbetter is our selection.
Editorial from Racing Post analysts via the Racing API — not generated by Racing Alpha. Formbook forecast prices are estimates, not market prices.
Why the model rates this top
Kool One
Nicola Burns(2) · Conor David Maxwell · 5yo
Top-rated of 13
score 55.4 · +0.5 clear of next best (54.9)
Scores compare runners within this race only
The Racing Alpha rating combines four signals. Below is the breakdown — components driving this pick first.
- Freshness10% weight85very strong33d since last run (fresh)
- Trainer20% weight63small sample (n=4)Conor David Maxwell: 1/4 winners last 14d (25%) — too few recent runs to judge the yard
- Form20% weight50averageLast 6: 1-4-5-1-7
- Ratings50% weight49below averageOR 73
MarketNo market price available yet.
v1.3 rating — a field-relative score, not a win probability; for market-derived value see the Fair column in the runners table. Weights and method on /about. Tips are opinions, not advice.
Draw bias — Curragh 1m4f
full course data →Moderate: middle favoured (IV 1.13).
Low (1–8)
IV 1.10
Mid (9–16)
IV 1.13
High (17–23)
IV 0.78
Today: Avoca Woods (draw 16) and Tatum (draw 9) get the bias; Kool One (draw 23) is in the least-favoured band.
IV = impact value: 1.00 is neutral, above it a stall band wins more often than its share of runners predicts. 126 qualifying races at this course and trip, 3-year window.
Runners · sorted by finishing position
| Pos | No. | Horse | Form | OR | AI | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18 | J: Rory Mulligan(2) · T: J P Murtagh · draw 11 3yo · G · bpFT P | 09011 | 74 | 52.3 | 3/1F·4.00 SP |
| 2 | 16 | J: Paddy Harnett · T: Donnacha Aidan O'Brien · draw 8 3yo · F · btFT T | 00113 | 76 | 47.2 | 7/2·4.50 SP |
| 3 | 12 | J: Sadhbh Tormey(7) · T: T G McCourt · draw 13 5yo · G · b | 71147 | 65 | 40.4 | 18/1·19.00 SP |
| 4 | 15 | J: Shay Wallace(7) · T: Maurice Andrew Ahern · draw 7 6yo · G · bt | 46442 | 62 | 45.7 | 18/1·19.00 SP |
| 5 | 19 | J: Keithen Kennedy · T: Mrs John Harrington · draw 5 3yo · G · b | 55620 | 74 | 48.3 | 13/2·7.50 SP |
| 6 | 10 | J: Wesley Joyce · T: W McCreery · draw 17 6yo · M · grt | 29700 | 68 | 29.0 | 40/1·41.00 SP |
| 7 | 11 | J: Jack Kearney · T: A Oliver · draw 1 4yo · G · chp | 31041 | 67 | 54.9 | 10/1·11.00 SP |
| 8 | 6 | J: Sam Coen(2) · T: Ciaran Murphy · draw 4 8yo · G · chpFT P | 06254 | 72 | 47.3 | 13/2·7.50 SP |
| 9 | 20 | J: Orla Tynan(7) · T: J S Bolger · draw 19 3yo · C · b | 547 | 73 | 44.8 | 11/1·12.00 SP |
| 10 | 22 | J: Patrick McGettigan(2) · T: M A Molloy · draw 22 8yo · M · b | 7472 | 59 | 35.9 | 18/1·19.00 SP |
| 11 | 7 | J: Jack Cleary · T: Ross O'Sullivan · draw 3 4yo · F · b | 94193 | 71 | 41.8 | 10/1·11.00 SP |
| 12 | 1 | J: Danny O'Leary(7) · T: Gerard O'Leary · draw 2 6yo · G · br | 6600 | 82 | 33.0 | 66/1·67.00 SP |
| 13 | 8 | J: Adam Browne-Souza(7) · T: J Morrison · draw 14 4yo · G · b | 3660 | 70 | 41.0 | 100/1·101.00 SP |
| 14 | 14 | J: Jessica O'Gorman(7) · T: Maurice Andrew Ahern · draw 10 4yo · G · bt | 00003 | 63 | 42.0 | 9/1·10.00 SP |
| — | — | J: Nicola Burns(2) · T: Conor David Maxwell · draw 23 5yo · G · bt | 14517 | 73 | 55.4 | — |
| — | — | J: Jimmy Dalton(7) · T: Noel Meade · draw 9 5yo · M · bb | 12175 | 65 | 52.4 | — |
| — | — | J: · T: Denis Gerard Hogan · draw 15 5yo · G · btp | 93558 | 60 | 45.1 | — |
| — | — | J: Patrick McGettigan(2) · T: P Sweeney · draw 18 8yo · G · b | 48804 | 75 | 39.3 | — |
| — | — | J: Hugh Horgan(2) · T: Ross O'Sullivan · draw 12 4yo · G · b | 356 | 74 | 40.7 | — |
| — | — | J: · T: Jack Foley · draw 16 3yo · C · ch | 809 | 73 | 53.8 | — |
| — | — | J: Darragh O'Sullivan(7) · T: Richard John O'Brien · draw 20 5yo · G · b | 204088 | 80 | 49.2 | — |
| — | — | J: · T: H Rogers · draw 21 4yo · G · b | 74783 | 61 | 36.9 | — |
| — | — | J: Nestor Kash(7) · T: Kevin Thomas Coleman · draw 6 8yo · G · btp | 99055 | 68 | 33.5 | — |
OR = official rating · AI = model score (0–100) · form reads oldest → latest
Frequently asked questions
Did the Racing Alpha AI tip win the 18:45 Curragh?
No — the AI top pick (Kool One) was a non-runner or unplaced.
What were the placings in the 18:45 Curragh?
Top finishers: 1. Darius Dark (IRE) (4.00), 2. Keepsgettingbetter (IRE) (4.50), 3. Celtic Druid (IRE) (19.00).
What was the winning time for the 18:45 Curragh?
The winning time was 2m 33.14s, 1.24s slower than standard.
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