RACING: CURRAGHEXCELEBRATION is the latest high-profile transfer into Aidan O'Brien's Ballydoyle stable and the Group One-winning miler makes his debut for the champion trainer in tomorrow's Group Three feature at the Curragh.
The ex-Marco Botti-trained colt had the thankless task of chasing Franekel a number of times in 2011 but also secured a top-flight victory for himself in the Prix Du Moulin that helped provoke the all-powerful Coolmore syndicate into purchasing him.
Excelebration doesn’t have the big-money transfer profile of So You Think who dominated headlines this time last year but he looks in a different class to his five opponents in the Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes.
The English raider Beacon Lodge has also changed yards since finishing six lengths behind Excelebration in the Hungerford Stakes last August, and is better off at the weights, but at seven can hardly be still progressing.
O’Brien’s horses have generally been improving dramatically for their first starts this season but a Lockinge clash with his old rival Frankel will look unlikely if Excelebration can’t provide his new trainer with a first Gladness victory since Giant’s Causeway a dozen years ago.
Camelot’s recent ante-post price reduction for the 2,000 Guineas indicates the brilliant son of Montjeu is on the verge of being declared a classic contender for Newmarket in a fortnight.
Nevertheless there will still be plenty of interest in the first start of 2012 for another unbeaten Ballydoyle three-year-old in Nephrite in the Anne Brewster Memorial Loughbrown Stakes.
The son of Pivotal is as low as 8 to 1 for the Guineas after winning at HQ on his debut last season and then beating Born To Sea in the Killavullan Stakes.
Nephrite has to concede weight all round in this Listed contest but should still be tough to beat while his stable companion Infanta Branca is likely to be a hot favourite for the opening maiden after an encouraging Cork debut behind Liberating.
Tomorrow’s black type contest is the Listed Alleged Stakes where official figures give Zaminast a clear edge over her Park Express winning rival Chrysanthemum.
However, this will be a first start of the season for Zaminast whose interrupted three-year-old campaign wound up with an impressive Trigo Stakes victory.
Chrysanthemum can successfully concede weight all-round.
Plan A has a first start on the flat in over a year and a half in the concluding mile and a half handicap and it will be intriguing to see how he shapes.
Gordon Elliott has turned the five-year-old into a very smart hurdler who ran fourth in the County Hurdle at Cheltenham despite meeting interference at the second last flight.
Twice a winner on the flat in England, Plan A could be tough to beat off a mark of 72.
John Oxx runs four in the 10 furlong maiden and Johnny Murtagh’s decision to stick with Ebazan looks significant.
