RACING:BEN CURTIS, one of last year's co-champion apprentices, has enjoyed a fine season so far and currently lies sixth in the overall jockeys standings with 27 winners.
The Cork-born jockey goes to Sligo this evening for five rides and it will be fascinating to see how one of them, Donatis Comet, fares in the apprentice maiden.
Pat Martin’s charge has won three bumpers this summer at Down Royal, Bellewstown and Tipperary, showing admirable resolution in the process. How that form equates to tonight’s opposition is difficult to establish but the Killarney runner- up Melodie d’Amour looks the best of them and it is significant that Martin is allowing his bumper charge take his chance in such an event.
Jim Bolger sends Do The Bosanova for the concluding 10 furlong handicap and even a 16lb penalty for winning at Leopardstown last time may not stop the daughter of Galileo. Do The Bosanova hosed up by 11 lengths on that occasion, better than anything she’d previously done, and could be progressive enough to cope with the hike and the Galway winner Teach Nua. Perfect Goddess can secure the reward for consistency this season when she lines up for the opening maiden while Anderiego is preferred in the second of the handicaps.
Meanwhile, Aidan O’Brien’s Group One juggernaut may have slowed in recent weeks but Power has been installed a warm favourite to re-boot the champion trainer’s 2011 campaign in Sunday’s Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.
Europe’s first Group One of the year for two-year-olds is the top-flight race O’Brien has won more than any other during his brilliant career and victory on Sunday would see him surpass Paddy Prendergast’s tally of 11 wins which he equalled with Zoffany last year.
O’Brien has five other entries among the 14 horses left in the Phoenix after yesterday’s forfeit stage, including the four-length maiden winner Reply and the filly After who also holds an entry in Sunday’s Group Two Debutante Stakes.
The unbeaten Power, however, is the undisputed Ballydoyle number one after a decisive success in Royal Ascot’s Coventry Stakes in June, a race also won by Fasliyev in 1999 after which he followed up in the Phoenix.
That colt was one of a hot-streak of six O’Brien-trained Phoenix Stakes winners in a row between 1998 and 2003 and the trainer equalled Prendergast’s total when Zoffany scored last year. O’Brien, however, brought up his tally in half the time the legendary Prendergast took.
Phoenix Stakes(Paddy Power bet): 7-4 Power, 5-2 Lilbourne Lad, 4 Frederick Engels, 6 Reply, 9 Gatepost Tough As Nails, 16 Qatar's Pearl, 25 Bar.
