Irish Stallion Farms EBF Yeats Stakes (Listed)

Off time: 16:05 | Winning time: 3m 6.85s

(1)

Covent Garden^b1²⁰³

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Wayne Lordan| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 92

9/2

Promising sort. 15¾ lengths eighth of 9 to Dubai Mile in Criterium de Saint-Cloud (13/1) at Saint-Cloud (9.9f, heavy). Off 6 months and blinkers on 1st time. Should improve. Yard also saddles Peking Opera.

Form: 6218-

(2)

Etna Rosso²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Dylan Browne McMonagle| T: J P O'Brien

9/2

11/8, won 9-runner maiden at Limerick (11.2f, soft) on debut 21 days ago. Open to improvement but this represents a sizeable step up in class.

Form: 1

(4)

Nurburgring^t²¹

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: M P Sheehy| T: J P O'Brien| CD

7/1

Twice-raced winner. Won 3-runner maiden (2/1) at this C&D (heavy) 21 days ago, driven clear. May well do better but will certainly need to now upped in class.

Form: 6-1

(5)

Peking Opera²¹⁰

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: J A Heffernan| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 93

5/2

Twice-raced winner. Won 15-runner maiden at Leopardstown (8f, soft, 6/5), responding well. Off 7 months and significantly up in trip here (likely to be in his favour judged on pedigree). Open to improvement.

Form: 21-

(3)

Serious Challenge^p1²²

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Rory Cleary| T: J S Bolger| OR: 98

13/2

Useful gelding. Third of 5 in minor event at Cork (10.1f, good to soft, 9/2) 22 days ago. Up in trip and cheekpieces on 1st time. Sets the standard on form and bold show likely.

Form: 314-343

(6)

St Vincents Garden⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: Declan McDonogh| T: J P O'Brien

10/3

Once-raced maiden. Third of 10 in maiden at Leopardstown (12f, heavy, 8/1) on debut 6 days ago, never nearer. Should progress and may prove to be the pick of the Joseph O'Brien-trained trio.

Form: 3

Forecasts

Peking Opera (5/2), St Vincents Garden (10/3), Etna Rosso (9/2), Covent Garden (9/2), Serious Challenge (13/2), Nurburgring (7/1)

ST VINCENTS GARDEN is the only one of these not to have won a race but he made a highly promising debut when third at Leopardstown recently and improvement should be forthcoming. He gets the nod ahead of the Aidan O'Brien-trained duo, Peking Opera and Covent Garden (in that order of preference), while Serious Challenge should also be involved, provided his stamina holds out.