Peeping Fawn is favourite to kick off a possible Group One double for the Aidan O'Brien-Kieren Fallon team this weekend in tomorrow's Audi Pretty Polly Stakes.
The Epsom Derby runner-up Eagle Mountain remains a general even money favourite to go one better in Sunday's Budweiser Irish Derby and his connections will be hoping for a good omen in tomorrow's feature.
Like Eagle Mountain, Peeping Fawn was a classic second at Epsom, in her case in the Oaks, but will have to take on three older fillies in the mile-and-a-quarter event after the field was finalised at nine yesterday.
Last year's English Guineas winner Speciosa, her compatriot Echelon and Musical Way from France will represent the older generation in the Pretty Polly but bookmakers believe it will be the classic crop who will dominate.
Cashmans make Peeping Fawn a 2 to 1 market leader ahead of the French Oaks winner West Wind, with John Oxx's impressive maiden winner, Timarwa, just a 4 to 1 shot to successfully manage the hike up to the top level.
A final field of 11 is likely to be declared for the Derby today with O'Brien represented by three other colts besides Eagle Mountain. His fifth entry, Yellowstone, is likely to wait for the Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp on July 14th.
Riding arrangements for the Ballydoyle team were finalised yesterday, with Michael Kinane set to team up with Alexander Of Hales and Fran Berry on Spanish Harlem. Séamus Heffernan rides Soldier Of Fortune.
Shamdinan (Alain de Royer-Dupre) and Royal And Regal (Andre Fabre) are set to represent France, while there are likely to be three British-trained runners left in who will try to bridge the long gap back to the last cross-channel-trained winner, Balanchine in 1994.
The €150,000 supplementary entry Boscobel is set to be joined by Striving Storm from Peter Chapple-Hyam's yard and the Dante third Al Shemali who represents Michael Stoute who will receive a hall of fame award on the day.
Stoute was a triple-Irish Derby winner in the 1980s and there is quiet confidence in Al Shemali's ability to run a big race.
Bruce Raymond, spokesman for owner Saeed Suhail, said yesterday: "Soft ground will be a big benefit to him. He won his race as a two-year-old on soft. He has good form and I think his Dante run is good enough to give him a shout in this company.
"It looks an open race. Eagle Mountain looks good, as does Boscobel and a couple of others. But I think our horse is improving, he is very useful and is in good shape. Sir Michael does not usually send them for these sorts of races unless he thinks they are spot on."
The current British champion jockey Ryan Moore, who rode Al Shemali to be second to Zahan in the Hampton Court at Royal Ascot last week, will again be on board after having a day of a whip ban postponed.
Forecast ground conditions of "good to yielding" on the round course are expected for the start of the Derby festival tonight where the feature event is the Listed Saoire Stakes. Just seven fillies will line up, including the O'Brien-trained newcomer Listen who is a daughter of Sadler's Wells.
Of those with form the best appears to be Saoirse Abu who ran the high-class You'resothrilling to a length in a Group Three at Naas and who has winning form at the course and distance. Ground with a little dig in it should not be a problem to Kevin Manning's mount either.
The opening seven-furlong juvenile maiden is invariably an important race for the future with the likes of Horatio Nelson and Brian Boru having been produced by the Ballydoyle team in recent years. This time O'Brien introduces the Montjeu colt Alessandro Volta and Kieren Fallons's mount Lucifer Sam who is by the world's most expensive stallion Storm Cat.
Pittori's debut second to Elletelle at Leopardstown reads pretty well now that that filly has gone on to land the Queen Mary at Ascot and he will be a danger.
Red Rock Canyon's 92 rating gives him the clear winning of the last maiden but the classically-bred colt has been expensive to follow and Bring Back Matron ran a nice third to Vincenzio Gallilei at Navan last time out.
