By Tom Frary
Sunday sees a swing in the momentum towards the more meaningful Flat action of 2024, with Leopardstown–which has to survive an early-morning inspection–and ParisLongchamp staging a host of Classic trials. Ballydoyle's wheels are really set in motion at the former venue, with several of their promising 3-year-olds ready to be unleashed in the card's trio of preps including the 10-furlong G3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax S.
It is in that early Derby pointer that Rosegreen's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud third Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and impressive course maiden-winning TDN Rising Star Ocean Of Dreams (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) look to add to the stable's Blue Riband team taking on Vimal Khosla's G2 Beresford S. winner Deepone (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) from the Paddy Twomey stable.
“He has a five-pound penalty for his win in the Beresford S. last season, but we're looking forward to running him on Sunday,” Twomey said. “I think stepping up in trip will play to his strengths, I think a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half should be well within his compass.”
Leopardstown also stages the seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” S., where Ballydoyle again have two fascinating maiden winners in Samuel Colt (Ire) (No Nay Never) and The Liffey (Ire) (No Nay Never). Both have to meet the standard set by the G3 Killavullan S. one-two Atlantic Coast (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Bright Stripes (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}).
The fillies take part in the G3 Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” S., where Ballydoyle's course-and-distance maiden winner Buttons (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) is the pick of Ryan Moore tackling Deepone's unbeaten stablemate A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}).
It was in August at The Curragh when A Lilac Rolla managed to upstage the subsequent G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Opera Singer (Justify) and Twomey is hoping that she can restart where she left off. “She beat a very good filly in Opera Singer, she's wintered well and is ready to start,” he said. “The ground conditions may not be ideal, but she's in a good place and this is a good starting point for the season ahead.”
At ParisLongchamp, Guy Pariente,Thomas Lines and Qatar Racing's G1 Criterium International hero Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) returns in the nine-furlong G3 Prix la Force. Trainer David Menuisier said, “It is famous last words, but the ground shouldn't be an issue. It will be hard on the horses, but we feel ours goes on it quite good and the trip shouldn't be a problem, so we go there quite positive. Later down the line, we would like to aim at the Prix du Jockey Club, but we need to take races one by one, obviously. We could drop back in trip to run in one of the Guineas or we could go up in trip to run in a Derby trial next month. It will all depend on what happens this weekend and what Oisin and the owners think–and then we will take it from there.”
Also over that trio is the G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux for the fillies, where the Head Family's nine-length Saint-Cloud winner La Mandala (Fr) (City Light {Fr}) is tested against some proven peers, while the feature is the G2 Prix d'Harcourt where Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard's G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) takes on Gousserie Racing's multiple group winner and G1 Champion S. third Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}).
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