19:05 Curragh

Friday 24 May 2019

All16:5517:2518:0018:3519:0519:3520:05

Kerrygold Gallinule Stakes (Group 3)

Off time: 19:09 | Winning time: 2m 10.23s

(2)

Antilles¹⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Wayne Lordan| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 103

12/1

War Front colt. 4th foal, brother to 6f 2yo winner Dramatically. Eased when making no impression in the Listed Tetrarch stakes here earlier this month. Worry he may have been deserted by jockey.

Form: 0551-20

(1)

Bold Approach³⁰²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: K J Manning| T: J S Bolger| OR: 96

14/1

Dawn Approach colt out of a US 1m/1m½f winner. Knew his job when winning 14-runner maiden before finishing a solid second of five behind Anthony Van Dyck in the Group 3 Tyros stakes when last seen in July last year. Absence a concern.

Form: 12-

(4)

Buckhurst¹²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: D O'Brien| T: J P O'Brien

6/1

Son of Australia, once entered in the Epsom Derby and made a winning debut in a hot maiden, over a mile at Leopardstown on soft ground last month. Well behind Broome in the Derby trial at the same venue earlier this month.

Form: 15

(3)

Constantinople⁴⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: R L Moore| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 99| BF

10/11

Held many fancy entries at the start of the season but only the Irish Derby and the Eclipse are the Group 1's that remain. Beaten a short-head in a Cork handicap last month but likely to be popular in the betting given the man in the plate.

Form: 531-2

(5)

Tinandali⁵¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Chris Hayes| T: D K Weld| OR: 91| D

7/2

Son of Oasis Dream is half-brother to two winners in smart jumper Timiyan and 1m4f winner Timikar. Improved on sole two-year-old start when landing a Leopardstown maiden over 1m2f last month. Likely to improve once again and worth considering.

Form: 6-1

(6)

U S S Michigan¹⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Seamie Heffernan| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 98

7/1

Eased when keeping on, inside the final furlong to finish 4¾L adrift of the winner in a Listed event here over 7f earlier this month. Trainer has won five of the last eight renewals, four with a similar profile to this War Front colt.

Form: 2-147

(7)

Wee Jim²⁶⁵

Age: 3| Weight: 9-3| J: Declan McDonogh| T: L Comer| OR: 92

50/1

Won a five-runner Musselburgh contest on second start when upped from 6f to 7f, doing so quite readily, before winning again and running well in defeat in a French listed contest when last seen in September. Up against it here.

Form: 7115-

Forecasts

Constantinople (10/11), Tinandali (7/2), Buckhurst (6/1), U S S Michigan (7/1), Antilles (12/1), Bold Approach (14/1), Wee Jim (50/1)

Trainer Aidan O'Brien has won five of the last eight renewals of this contest, hitting the frame with a further six runners. Four of the five winners last ran in a non-handicap race which brings the chances of U S S MICHIGAN in to play. The son of War Front shaped well on debut here to finish second of 10 beaten ½L 12 months ago. The colt can improve on his disappointing season debut run at this track earlier this month to see off the attentions of stablemate, Constantinople and the Dermot Weld potential improver Tinandali.