Starting his sequence of 13 winners of the Group 2 Beresford Stakes in 1996,
Aidan O’Brien needs one more to equal the record set by Dr. Vincent O’Brien, and
that seems likely as his trio for Sunday’s renewal at the Curragh includes “TDN
Rising Star” Ol’ Man River.
Visually impressive when accounting for what probably amounted to
lesser-quality maidens than is usual at this venue at the end of last month, the
€2.85 million Goffs Orby son of Montjeu and
the 2007 English/Irish One Thousand Guineas heroine Finsceal Beo has something
to find in this category, but has everything in place to do so.
Stable companion Order of St George scored by 8 1/2 lengths on his third
maiden attempt at Leopardstown last time August 14 and is more than an able
deputy, while opposition to Rosegreen is headed by Khalid Abdullah’s Tombelaine.
Having beaten the subsequent Vintage winner Highland Reel on debut over seven
furlongs at Leopardstown June 12, the homebred has been second on two return
visits to another pair of Ballydoyle luminaries in Gleneagles and John F Kennedy
in the July 24 Tyros and September 13 Juvenile Turf respectively.
After a highly encouraging debut second over this seven-furlong trip in a
decent Leopardstown maiden September 13, Patricia Burns’s Stellar Glow is one of
the most interesting players in the line-up for the Group 3 C.L. & M.F. Weld
Park Stakes, also at the Curragh.
Named on Friday by Jim Bolger as one of the picks of his juvenile fillies,
the Sea the Stars half-sister to Alfred Nobel from the extended family of his
finest performer New Approach does not have much to find with the main
principals, which include Louis and Kate Ronan’s September 14 Moyglare Stud
sixth Qualify.
Of the other unexposed types, Hayley O’Connor’s Lola Beaux is an intriguing
prospect following her defeat of General Marshall over this trip at Dundalk
September 7.
“I’ve been very happy with her since Dundalk,” trainer Jessie Harrington told
PA Sport. “She was only just touched off on her first start and then I was
delighted with her next time. Both her runs have been against colts, but she’s
very tough and hardy and has a professional attitude.”
Germany
Sunday’s Group 1 Preis von Europa at Cologne is without a domestic star and
overseas challenge, and with the three-year-olds accounting for six of the last
nine winners it may be that the classic generation holds sway again in an open
renewal.
Boasting marginally the best form of that age group is Stall Furstenhof’s
Wild Chief, who achieved a level of form that very few of his compatriots would
be capable of when fourth in the Prix du Jockey Club over 10 1/2 furlongs at
Chantilly at the start of June. Only seen once subsequently, the chestnut was a
respectable fifth behind the monstrous Sea the Moon in his home equivalent, the
July 6 Deutsches Derby over this 1 1/2-mile trip at Hamburg.
One who has already scored at this level is Stall Molenhof’s Sirius, but his
win in Hoppegarten’s Grosser Preis von Berlin over this trip August 10 was
followed by a fifth in the Grosser Preis von Baden September 7 and on that form
he is held by the third-placed Night Wish. Stall Salzburg’s full brother to
Night Magic bids to go one better than that esteemed sibling after she was
second in this four years ago.
Stall Ullmann’s Guardini is another sophomore with strong claims, having
beaten the smart Teletext in Chantilly’s Prix du Lys over this trip June 15
before flopping twice at Longchamp when 10th in the Grand Prix de Paris July 13
and fifth in the Prix Niel September 14.
Italy
Racing is gearing up in Italy once again, and the milers take the spotlight
in Sunday’s Group 1 Premio Vittorio Di Capua at the San Siro.
Defending winner Amaron ships from Germany looking for his third group race
win of the year, having taken the Wettenleip Fruhjahrsmeile on seasonal debut
April 13, and the Grosser Preis Der Wirtschaft two starts later June 22. The
five-year-old Andreas Lowe charge finished third in the Grosser Preis Der VGH
Versicherungen July 13, and was last seen finishing second in the
Oettingen-Rennen September 3.
L’Amour De Ma Vie is one of the more intriguing horses in the lineup. After a
useful campaign in Dubai, where she won the Balanchine, the five-year-old mare
returned to be second in the Duke of Cambridge at Royal Ascot June 18 before
finishing fourth in the Prix Rothschild August 3.
Priore Philip has been one of Italy’s flagship horses over the past year,
having won the Gran Criterium last year. The sophomore resumed with a San Siro
conditions score March 16 and after finishing second to Salford Secret in the
Matchpoint, got back to his winning ways when last seen in the Premio Carlo
Vittadini May 25. Refuse to Bobbin caused an upset when winning the Premio
Presidente Della Repubblica May 11, and was last seen finishing sixth off a
fourth-month layoff in a Capannelle conditions event September 14.
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