A glorious clash of generations at the Curragh on a day that could steal the thunder of the Irish Derby

The appetiser is tastier than the main course at the Curragh this weekend as a glorious clash of generations in the Paddy Power Pretty Polly Stakes (3.30) is the showpiece of an eight-race card that is heavy on quality and light on numbers. 

If you want to sink your teeth into big-field handicaps then Sunday is for you, but if the prospect of seeing a really good horse gets you giddy then the eve of the Irish Derby will float your boat. You won't just see one, you could see loads. 

The older fillies lead the three-year-olds 7-3 over the last decade in the Pretty Polly and you have to rewind to Iridessa in 2019 to find the most recent winner to emerge from the Classic crop. But Whirl will be out to end that winless run for Aidan O'Brien, who himself hasn't won it since Magical in 2020 and has just the one success in eight years. That's unusual.