Sunday's Curragh card features several fascinating match-ups and Matt Brocklebank picks out some of the most compelling races in store.
Riffa to string them along in Leger?
A fascinating edition of the Comer Group International Irish St. Leger takes top billing at the Curragh on day two of the Irish Champions Festival this Sunday.
The long-range market is topped by Joseph O’Brien’s Al Riffa, a proven operator at the highest level around the world over the past few seasons. Having stepped up to a mile and three-quarters with aplomb here last time out (replay below), he looks to be arriving on the crest of a wave and could be hard to contain.
The potential challengers are no less intriguing, however, and Scandinavia would be high among them were he given the green light to take on his elders again rather than line up alongside Lambourn and Stay True in Saturday’s Betfred St Leger at Doncaster.
The Justify colt has turned his campaign around since cheekpieces went on and lowered the colours of Illinois in the Goodwood Cup when last seen, albeit in receipt of a stone in weight. That discrepancy is down to 8lb this weekend, but he’s a stayer on the rise.
Ralph Beckett’s Amiloc has a rather different profile in that he’s yet to suffer defeat, nor is he proven over the distance, but his pedigree suggests this longer trip should hold no fears and his Royal Ascot defeat of Irish Champion Stakes-bound Zahrann is already looking the part in light of that one’s subsequent success.
Al Qareem has had another busy and productive year, the Irish St. Leger reportedly on his agenda since the spring, while Crystal Black is a remarkable performer who seems highly unlikely to let down his sporting connections on his belated first start at Group 1 level at the age of seven.
Arabian Crown adds another layer of lustre as Charlie Appleby bids for another triumph at this meeting and the race looks finely poised at this point.
Paddy Power: 2/1 Al Riffa, 9/4 Illinois, 5/1 Amiloc, 8/1 Scandinavia, 10/1 Al Qareem, Carmers, 12/1 Crystal Black, 14/1 Arabian Crown, 16/1 Lambourn, 25/1 Leinster, Stay True, 33/1 Dallas Star, Harbour Wind, Queenstown, Waldadler, 40/1 Uxmal.
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The past three winners of the Moyglare Stud Stakes, namely Lake Victoria, Fallen Angel and Tahiyra, have all gone on to success in the Irish 1,000 Guineas the following spring and this year’s edition looks no less significant.
Aidan O’Brien’s Wootton Bassett filly Composing has been going through the grades since breaking her maiden at the second time of asking on this track in June and had the look of a potential Classic contender when skipping clear of her rivals in last month’s Group 2 Debutante Stakes.
She is set to face stern opposition from over the water, Karl Burke having nominated the Moyglare as Venetian Sun’s top autumn target soon after her Royal Ascot win in the Albany. Having added the Duchess Of Cambridge at Newmarket and the Prix Morny at Deauville to her growing CV since then, the daughter of Starman brings a sparkling, unbeaten record to the table.
This should be a mouth-watering match-up and the likes of Precise, Beautify, Diamond Necklace and Ger Lyons’ Suzie Songs could be left to play for places only.
Paddy Power: 11/8 Composing, 13/8 Venetian Sun, 7/1 Beautify, 8/1 Precise, 12/1 Diamond Necklace, 16/1 Suzie Songs, 20/1 Pivotal Attack, 25/1 Balantina, Fitzella, Phenomenal Filly, Skydance, 150/1 Venosa.
Powerhouses collide in National
The Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes is also nearly always a key pointer when it comes to the two-year-old colts and Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby is no stranger to success in the Group1 having successfully sent Quorto (2018), Pinatubo (2019) and Native Trail (2021) to plunder the prize in the past decade.
This year he is likely to rely on the twice-raced and unbeaten Saba Desert, who had Italy behind when landing an admittedly messy edition of the Superlative Stakes on the July Course at Newmarket when last seen.
Quorto and Native Trail won the same race en route to the Curragh and this Dubawi colt must be held in the highest regard by his trainer who has had 31 two-year-old winners in Britain so far this year.
Despite that unbeaten record, Saba Desert is only second-favourite behind Aidan O’Brien’s odds-on Gstaad, who came up just short behind Moyglare jolly Venetian Sun in the Prix Morny. A fast finisher over six furlongs that day, the Coventry Stakes hero is expected to enjoy his first go over seven and will be looking to follow in the footsteps of half-brother Vandeek who won a Group 1 at two.
This is no two-horse race, however, with Eve Johnston Houghton’s Zavateri having already proven something of a giant-killer with wins in the July Stakes and Vintage Stakes at Goodwood when last seen at the end of July.
Italy and Dorset are waiting in the wings should something go awry with the supposed Ballydoyle first-string.
Paddy Power: 10/11 Gstaad, 4/1 Saba Desert, 5/1 Zavateri, 7/1 North Coast, 8/1 Italy, 14/1 Dorset, 16/1 Pacific Avenue, 33/1 Puerto Rico, 66/1 Al Haarith, Brussels.
Flying Five Stakes
Sandwiched between the two top-class juvenile contests over seven furlongs, the small matter of the Group 1 Bar One Racing Flying Five Stakes featuring the classy Australian sprinter Asfoora.
Last season’s King Charles III Stakes winner was starting to test the patience of her most loyal followers with a relatively low-key effort at Royal Ascot this summer shortly followed by an equally uninspiring run at Goodwood. However, those who kept the faith were well rewarded after Henty Dwyer’s mare powered home under Oisin Murphy in last month’s Nunthorpe.
The way the sprint division has been playing out so far this season, Asfoora is no good thing to follow up but you suspect the likes of Bucanero Fuerte and Night Raider will have to raise their game a notch or two in order to come up to her level, provided she’s in the same sort of mood as at York.
The ‘sleeper’ here could be Ed Walker’s Mgheera, only eighth in the Nunthorpe but surely going to be seen to better effect on this stiffer course, with rain around another boost to her credentials.
Paddy Power: 11/4 Asfoora, 7/1 Bucanero Fuerte, 8/1 Night Raider, 10/1 Arizona Blaze, Art Power, Mgheera, She’s Quality, Two Stars, Whistlejacket, 16/1 Nighteyes, 25/1 Ides Of March, 33/1 Grande Marques, Powerful Nation, Vadream, 40/1 Fregada, Saratoga Special, Town And Country, 50/1 Erosandpsyche, Gutsy Girl, 66/1 Lady With The Lamp.
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