17:10 Curragh

Friday 23 August 2019

All17:1017:4018:1018:4019:1019:4020:10

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden (Plus 10)

Off time: 17:10 | Winning time: 1m 29.57s

(3)

Aesop

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: S Foley| T: Mrs J Harrington

9/2

Make Believe colt. Half-brother to several winners, including top-class winner up to 1m5f Youmzain. Yard's two-year-old's operating at 23 per-cent this season though stable quiet lately.

Form:

(9)

Alexei Vronsky

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: L F Roche| T: M O'Callaghan

16/1

Power colt cost €78,000 as a yearling. Closely related to useful 1m-1m2½f winner Whispering Warrior and half-brother to multiple winners.

Form:

(13)

Bligh

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: S M Crosse⁽⁵⁾| T: J P O'Brien

12/1

€130,000 yearling, Camelot colt. Dam a winner over similar trip, stayed plenty further. May need a bit of time/longer trip.

Form:

(8)

Depardieu

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: W J Lee| T: M C Grassick

66/1

Leroidesanimaux gelding. Dam a 1m winner, half-sister to two-year-old 7f/1m winner Songerie. Plenty others with more paper appeal here.

Form:

(11)

Fiscal Rules

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: K J Manning| T: J S Bolger

14/1

Make Believe colt is a half-brother to 1m2f winner Mearu and useful winner up to 1m6f Cimeara. Bolger two-year-old's have been quiet this season (3-36).

Form:

(18)

Khairy

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: Chris Hayes| T: K Prendergast

7/1

Teofilo colt. Dam 7f winner at two-years-old, stayed 1m. Holds an entry in the Champions Juvenile Stakes next month at Leopardstown.

Form:

(12)

King Of The Ville

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: Robbie Colgan| T: P W Flynn

66/1

Baltic King gelding whose dam was a two-year-old 6f winner (stayed a mile). Market should reveal more, though no shock if improving for the outing.

Form:

(7)

Layfayette

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: Colin Keane| T: N Meade

25/1

A €4,000 yearling, French Navy colt then changed hands for €54,000 as a two-year-old. Half-brother to juvenile 5f/6f winner Urlucc. Worth a look on debut for in-form trainer/jockey combo.

Form:

(1)

Little Brother

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: K J Leonard| T: J Nash

66/1

Gale Force Ten gelding, closely related to 1m2f winner Arlecchino's Arc. Doesn't carry the same appeal as a few of these rivals.

Form:

(15)

Monument Valley

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: P B Beggy| T: A P O'Brien

9/1

Galileo colt, half-brother to several winners, including very smart winner up to 1m4f Main Sequence. Newcomer for Ballydoyle, seemingly not first choice on jockey bookings.

Form:

(2)

Mostaqqer

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: O J Orr| T: D K Weld

14/1

42,000 gns foal, then 100,000 gns yearling, Brazen Beau colt makes first start for Dermot Weld and market prominence would be noted. Yard 0-23 with two-year-old's in 2019 however.

Form:

(4)

Rotokura

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: James J Doyle| T: D Hogan

50/1

Cable Bay colt. Half-brother to 7f winner Sakash. Changed hands for €13,000 as a two-year-old. Market will reveal a lot more on debut.

Form:

(17)

Springbank

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: N G McCullagh| T: J P Murtagh

12/1

Galileo colt is a brother to 1m4f winner Expressionism and related to multiple winners. Trainer only 1-49 with juveniles this year.

Form:

(14)

Victory Road

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: M C Hussey| T: A P O'Brien

7/1

Frankel colt. Closely related to several winners, including useful winner up to 2m Aloft, though also has plenty speed on the dams side. Represents top connections.

Form:

(6)

Wichita

Age: 2| Weight: 9-5| J: J A Heffernan| T: A P O'Brien

5/1

No Nay Never colt cost 140,000 gns as a yearling and is a half-brother to three winners, including useful 1m2f winner Magistrat. One of three for trainer, market will be informative.

Form:

(16)

Miss Molly T

Age: 2| Weight: 9-0| J: Gary Carroll| T: G Keane

40/1

Camacho filly. Half-sister to 1m winner Solent Mead amongst others. Trainer's first two-year-old runner of the year, yard have had a winner lately.

Form:

(10)

Russian Dream

Age: 2| Weight: 9-0| J: Ronan Whelan| T: J M Oxx

25/1

Mastercraftsman filly. Closely related to smart 5f-7f winner Rose Bonheur and half-sister to useful 2-y-o 6f winner Roseraie. Good showing likely, despite yard's 0-13 record this year with two-year-old's.

Form:

(5)

Zahira Loredana

Age: 2| Weight: 9-0| J: R Coakley| T: J M Oxx

25/1

Zoffany filly, closely related to high-class winner up to 1m2f Refuse To Bend. Second runner for John Oxx, bidding for first juvenile winner of the term.

Form:

Forecasts

Aesop (9/2), Wichita (5/1), Khairy (7/1), Victory Road (7/1), Monument Valley (9/1), Springbank (12/1), Bligh (12/1), Fiscal Rules (14/1), Mostaqqer (14/1), Alexei Vronsky (16/1), Zahira Loredana (25/1), Russian Dream (25/1), Layfayette (25/1), Miss Molly T (40/1), Rotokura (50/1), Little Brother (66/1), Depardieu (66/1), King Of The Ville (66/1)

None of these have graced the racecourse, so the betting will surely be an essential guide. Aidan O'Brien is responsible for three, with Wichita perhaps better equipped than Victory Road and Monument Valley for this opening task. Layfayette and Russian Dream carry their merits but Jessica Harrington's juveniles have thrived this year and so there's plenty reason to be optimistic that AESOP will run a big race first time out.