Catalina Delcarpio set for Ribblesdale Stakes bid at Royal Ascot

June 16, 2025

Paddy Twomey’s Catalina Delcarpio will take her chance in the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot on Thursday.

The three-year-old made an emphatic impression on debut at Leopardstown in April, showcasing a killer turn of foot from the two-furlong pole to quicken in style and put her six rivals to bed.

She joined an illustrious roll of honour to win the race in recent years that includes Prix Vermeille and Breeders’ Cup Turf heroine Tarnawa as well as Irish Oaks winner Savethelastdance.

Things didn’t quite go to plan on her second start in the Group 2 Salsabil Stakes at Navan two weeks later when Joseph O’Brien’s Wemightakedlongway reaped the rewards of a well-judged front-running ride by Dylan Browne McMonagle.

The Lope De Vega filly found herself trapped in a pocket approaching the final three furlongs and was unable to land a blow on the winner who ultimately made the most of getting first run.

The pair pulled well clear of the third and Wemightakedlongway did no harm to the form when finishing fourth in the Epsom Oaks earlier this month.

Catalina Delcarpio is 3/1 to win the Ribblesdale with the top betting sites in Ireland.

Twomey told Luck On Sunday: “She met a little trouble in-running at Navan and the winner had flown by the time she got out. The winner is a good filly in her own right and won well.

“I think we had the fastest last five or six closing sectionals despite traffic troubles and she’s a filly who will have learned a lot that day.

“I decided to keep her back and avoid Epsom for this. I think she’s entitled to be favourite or close to be.”

WATCH: Paddy Twomey on his team of Royal Ascot runners for 2025

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— Racing TV (@RacingTV) June 15, 2025

The trainer also told The Irish Field the Ribblesdale is the ‘perfect’ race for her and jockey Billy Lee thought the soft ground at Navan stunted her acceleration, with the forecast quick ground at Ascot to be more suitable.

The step up in trip to 12 furlongs from ten is likely to play into her hands on breeding with plenty of stamina being out of an unraced Camelot mare, who famously completed the English-Irish Derby double and finished second in the St Leger.

The Irish Oaks at the Curragh on July 19 has been mentioned as a target, with Catalina Delcarpio the 6/1 second favourite behind Aidan O’Brien’s Epsom champion Minnie Hauk.

Her biggest danger at Ascot is likely to be Andrew Balding’s Serenity Prayer, last seen finishing a distant second behind eventual Oaks runner-up Whirl in the Group 3 Musidora Stakes at York in May.