P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes (Group 3)

Off time: 15:30 | Winning time: 2m 23.39s

(5)

Deepone¹⁹⁷

Age: 3| Weight: 9-10| J: W J Lee| T: P Twomey| OR: 111| C

11/2

Career best when winning 6-runner Beresford Stakes at the Curragh (8f, soft, 3/1) by 1¾ lengths from Chief Little Rock on final 2-y-o start. This won't be easy under a penalty but should make his presence felt.

Form: 11241-

(3)

Dallas Star¹⁷⁶

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: J A Heffernan| T: A Murray| OR: 90

50/1

Lightly-raced winner. 9 lengths third of 4 to Arabian Crown in Zetland Stakes at Newmarket (10f, good to soft, 33/1). Off 176 days. First run for yard after leaving Dominic Ffrench Davis and it's easy enough to look elsewhere.

Form: 38313-

(4)

Illinois¹⁶⁸

Age: 3| Weight: 9-5| J: R L Moore| T: A P O'Brien| OR: 109| BF

8/11

Promising individual. One win from 1 run last year. 19/10, length third of 7 to Los Angeles in Criterium de Saint-Cloud at Saint-Cloud (9.9f, soft) in October. Ryan Moore's pick of the Ballydoyle trio and he's a huge player.

Form: 13-

(2)

Ocean Of Dreams¹⁶⁹

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

7/2

Impressive winner of a 15-runner maiden at this course (8f, heavy, 9/2) on sole 2-y-o start in October. Ryan Moore prefers Illinois but he's clearly a very promising colt.

Form: 1-

(1)

The Euphrates¹⁷³

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

7/1

Twice-raced winner. Won 10-runner maiden (9/4) at Gowran (8.3f, heavy), always holding on. Off 173 days. Open to improvement for top connections but appears to be the least-fancied of the O'Brien-trained trio judged on jockey bookings.

Form: 31-

Forecasts

Illinois (8/11), Ocean Of Dreams (7/2), Deepone (11/2), The Euphrates (7/1), Dallas Star (50/1)

OCEAN OF DREAMS has been passed over by Ryan Moore in favour of Illinois, but it's worth noting that two of the last four Aidan O'Brien-trained winners of this were supposedly stable second-strings. The Fastnet Rock colt was most impressive when winning his maiden here during the autumn and he gets the nod. Illinois did little wrong in his two starts as a juvenile, latterly finishing third in a French Group 1, and he is greatly respected. The penalised Deepone also has claims.