15:45 Curragh

Saturday 20 August 2022

All13:2514:0014:3515:1015:4516:2016:5517:30

Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes (Fillies' Group 2)

Off time: 15:49 | Winning time: 1m 23.43s

(2)

Gan Teorainn¹⁹

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

16/1

Twice-raced winner. Won 10-runner maiden at Naas (8f, good to soft, 4/1) 19 days ago, suited by increase in trip. May well do better.

Form: 21

(4)

Maybe Just Maybe⁹

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: Wayne Lordan| T: A P O'Brien| D

18/1

Twice-raced winner. 1 win from 2 runs this year. Won 7-runner maiden (14/1) at Leopardstown (7.1f, good) 9 days ago, suited by emphasis on stamina. Ryan Moore prefers Meditate.

Form: 81

(1)

Meditate⁶⁴

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: R L Moore| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 106| C

8/13

Promising type. 3 wins from 3 runs this year. Won 16-runner Albany Stakes (5/2) at Royal Ascot (6f, good to firm) 64 days ago by 1¾ lengths from Mawj. The one to beat.

Form: 111

(3)

Olivia Maralda³⁰

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: Leigh Roche| T: M O'Callaghan| OR: 94| D

9/2

Lightly-raced winner. 10/11, career best when winning 15-runner maiden at Newbury (7f, good to firm) 30 days ago, easily. This is much tougher.

Form: 2271

(6)

Thornbrook⁴⁴

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: Declan McDonogh| T: J P O'Brien| D

12/1

11/4, won 8-runner maiden at Leopardstown (7f, good) on debut 44 days ago, readily. Should have more to offer and while this is a big step up in class and Zoinnocent is presumably the stable No 1, she shouldn't be underestimated.

Form: 1

(5)

With Love³⁰

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: Seamie Heffernan| T: Kevin Coleman| OR: 92| D

50/1

Thrice-raced winner. Winner at Leopardstown in June. 4½ lengths last of 6 to Never Ending Story in Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown (7f, good, 11/1) 30 days ago.

Form: 416

(7)

Zoinnocent³⁰

Age: 2| Weight: 9-2| J: S M Crosse| T: J P O'Brien| OR: 101| D

11/2

Promising type. 1 win from 3 runs this year. ½-length second of 6 to Never Ending Story in Silver Flash Stakes (6/1) at Leopardstown (7f, good) 30 days ago, never nearer. Should progress. Yard has landed the last two runnings of this.

Form: 612

Forecasts

Meditate (8/13), Olivia Maralda (9/2), Zoinnocent (11/2), Thornbrook (12/1), Gan Teorainn (16/1), Maybe Just Maybe (18/1), With Love (50/1)

Aidan O'Brien has saddled the winner of this race nine times since 2003 and in MEDITATE he fields a very strong candidate this time round. The No Nay Never filly made it 3-3 with an authoritative performance in the Albany at Royal Ascot and, with the promise of even better to come, she will prove hard to beat. Aidan's son Joseph has landed the last two renewals and his representatives Zoinnocent and Thornbrook are taken to fill the places.