At 84, Jim Bolger is racing’s venerable ‘enfant terrible’, and the maverick trainer could have another Classic hurrah when Sparan Nua lines up in Saturday’s Juddmonte Irish Oaks.The man who has repeatedly challenged racing’s establishment during a stellar 50-year career teams up with another nonconformist figure in owner Maurice Regan for the Curragh’s €500,000 highlight.Regan’s Newtown Anner Stud bought into the unbeaten Bolger-bred Sparan Nua prior to her third start in a Group Three at Cork last month. Now, he’s dipped into his wallet again and paid out €50,000 to supplement into the Oaks.Regan’s profile has increased dramatically in recent years, mostly due to High Court clashes with Coolmore Stud supremo, John Magnier.The New York-based businessman, originally from Kerry, has lodged more High Court proceedings against Magnier over alleged breaches of competition law. Regan also wants racing’s governing bodies to investigate alleged preferential treatment to Aidan O’Brien-trained runners at the starting gate.In the ‘dissenter stakes’ though, he’s a babe in arms next to Bolger. Twice champion trainer in 1991-92, Bolger’s vehement criticism of Irish racing’s regulatory body has been consistent over the decades. His 2020 claims about doping in the sport sparked ructions that led to Oireachtas Committee hearings, although there was ultimately no identification of any Lance Armstrong type figure.Eight Irish Classics have come along the way, another handful in England, and 57 Group One successes in all. It’s been quite the career for the ex-accountant who helped launch the careers of luminaries such as AP McCoy and Aidan O’Brien.The latter has runners here as he tries for a record extending ninth Irish Oaks success and a remarkable eighth Classic so far this year. Joseph O’Brien has three hopefuls, including Thundering On, bidding to become the 17th filly to complete the Epsom-Curragh Oaks double.Sparan Nua lines up in Saturday’s Juddmonte Irish Oaks. Photograph: Morgan Tracey/Inpho The 11-strong field is completed by a pair of cross-channel challengers in Ribblesdale winner Earth Shot and Inis Mor, who ran third in last month’s French Oaks.Nevertheless, much of the colour ahead of this Curragh Classic promises to revolve around Sparan Nua and her connections.Former champion jockey Declan McDonogh is back on board and will try to finally break his Classic duck at 46 on a filly he rode to her first two successes in Naas and Gowran. Regan’s comments about starting procedures promise to focus minds before the race even begins.Then there’s the chance of another Classic for Bolger, who earlier this year put his Carlow training base up for sale having opted to scale down his operation. His friend, the late Kevin Prendergast, was 83 when he landed his final Classic in 2016 with Awtaad in the 2,000 Guineas.It’s five years since Bolger enjoyed a Group One hat-trick in just over six weeks through Poetic Flare and Mac Swiney. Plenty has happened since. Having been the great disrupter in a notably conservative sector, plenty will hope he can shake up the status quo one more time.This is an open looking Oaks, principally because Thundering On has run and lost since her spectacular Epsom victory. Had she not finished fourth in the Pretty Polly Stakes three weeks ago, she would most likely be a heavy odds-on favourite.She’s back against her own age again, and at a mile-and-a-half, although quick ground conditions will be very different from Epsom. The going could be crucial. Even Earth Shot, who overcame adversity at Ascot, might appreciate more of an ease.Ground should be a plus for the Ballydoyle number-one Amelia Earhart, who failed to fire when favourite at Epsom. Her quirky temperament prompted a rare combination of headgear – hood and blinkers – on that occasion and this time O’Brien has reached for first-time cheekpieces.Thundering On is bidding to become the 17th filly to complete the Epsom-Curragh Oaks double. Photograph: Mike Egerton for The Jockey Club/PA Jockey Ryan Moore is chasing a third Irish Classic of the year and is confident of better from the filly this time.“The Oaks was a funny race, we didn’t go that quick, and I’m not sure how literally you should take the form,” he told World Pool, whose involvement again results in a nine-race card on Saturday. “It was messy and I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do this time. She’s still got plenty to prove but she’ll like being back at the Curragh and the headgear could help too.”O’Brien already has a trio of Classic-winning fillies this year. A rejuvenated Amelia Earhart could join True Love, Precise and Diamond Necklace.A year ago, True Love won the Group Two Gain Railway Stakes. In 2024, another subsequent Classic winner, Henri Matisse, emerged on top. It’s debatable if a similar future top-notch talent is in the line-up this time although it’s significant that Moore is sticking with Confucius.Oisín Murphy, successful earlier this week when riding at his local track in Killarney for the first time, teams up with Inis Mor in the big race and is on Celeron in the Railway. A lot went wrong for Michael O’Callaghan’s colt in the Windsor Castle, and he may be worth another shot at a big price.Donnacha O’Brien’s supplemented Havana Anna should be tough to beat in the Group Two Sapphire Stakes.Sunday’s Curragh card sees the course stalwart Big Gossey have a 90th career start where he will try to win an 11th race at HQ in the Group Two Minstrel Stakes. He’s up against a pair of Group One winners including Power Blue, who drops back in trip from a mile.