By Tom Frary
The Curragh stages Europe's first Group 1 contest for the current crop of 2-year-olds on Saturday and it is fair to say that a Keeneland Phoenix S. without the anticipated presence of River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is up for grabs. While Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore contingent opted to send the G2 Coventry S.-winning 'TDN Rising Star' to Deauville for the Prix Morny, the way is clear for another 'TDN Rising Star' son of that sire to step into his place. Unquestionable (Fr) has the obstacle of yet another Wootton Bassett colt in Bucanero Fuerte (GB) to overcome and he couldn't quite manage that in the course-and-distance G2 Railway S. last month, but this is the Phoenix and O'Brien that we are talking about.
Ballydoyle's commander-in-chief has almost made this race his private property since 1998, with a sequence of 17 winners. Remarkably, the gap between Sioux Nation in 2017 and Little Big Bear (Ire) last term was the only time in that period that he had gone more than a year without collecting and the Railway has always been a race to sharpen his prospective Phoenix colt. Ryan Moore has enjoyed even more success than usual on the stable's big guns in Ireland in 2023 and he said on his betfair blog, “This lacks a stand-out. Only a short-head separated Bucanero Fuerte and Unquestionable in the Railway and hopefully we can get revenge after our colt had to miss Goodwood because of the worsening ground.”
Other than Bucanero Fuerte, Royal Ascot's Coventry also featured Givemethebeatboys (Ire) (Bungle Inthejungle {GB}) who was just 3/4 of a length behind having been sent for home some way out. Bronsan Racing and Theresa Marnane's G3 Marble Hill S. winner has been given a freshener since then and trainer Jessica Harrington issued a positive update on the £1.1-million Goffs London sensation. “Hopefully he'll run a good race and we don't get too much rain between now and then so we have a bit of nice ground on the day. He's won on soft, but I'd prefer better ground as he's a good-moving horse,” she said.
No filly has won this since La Collina (Ire) (Strategic Prince {GB}) in 2011, but the unbeaten Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio) had some smart fillies behind when capturing the G3 Albany S. for the Fowler-Medallion Racing-Weston-Reeves collective and there is no definitive marker as to how the two sexes stand up. “She was in control the whole way in the Albany and did everything you'd like, so you'd have to respect the form and she seems quite versatile,” jockey Oisin Murphy said.
Sweet Solera Up For Grabs
While Ascot stages its longstanding Shergar Cup with its alternative appeal, Newmarket quietly gets on with the business of helping to sort the 2-year-old pecking order. Like the Phoenix, the G3 Molson Coors Sweet Solera S. also lacks a standout candidate but Godolphin's four-length course-and-distance winner Wild Goddess (GB) (Camelot {GB}) fits the bill with her connections and pedigree as she tackles the Listed Star S. second and third Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Soprano (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). The latter is back on more suitable ground, having been third behind Porta Fortuna in the Albany and we'll know more what that form means by late afternoon on Saturday.
At Haydock, there is an intriguing blend of youth and old talent in the 10-furlong G3 Rose Of Lancaster S. with the impressive Listed Lyric Fillies' S. winner Midnight Mile (Ire) (No Nay Never) taking on Shadwell's unpredictable Al Aasy (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) with weight-for-age on her side.
Inspiral Confirmed For Marois Defence
John and Thady Gosden have given the green light for Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to attempt back-to-back successes in Sunday's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville following her last-of-five effort in the G1 Sussex S. She will encounter her G1 Queen Anne S. conqueror Triple Time (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and also Yeguada Centurion SL's G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), as well as the G1 Prix Jean Prat-winning course specialist Good Guess (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) in a competitive 11-runner affair.
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