RACING: WEEKEND PREVIEWSANY LINGERING hopes Aidan O'Brien has of overhauling Bobby Frankel's world record tally of 25 Group/Grade 1 wins in a year could be determined by a bumper top-flight weekend in Europe which can see Fame And Glory complete a big-race double for the champion trainer at the Curragh this afternoon.
At his best Fame And Glory would be something of a “shoo-in” for today’s Irish Field St Leger but a trial defeat by Fictional Account last month has injected a sense of doubt into the final Classic of Ireland’s 2011 season.
Fictional Account opposes Fame And Glory again but soft ground conditions look to have gone against her and possibly the pick of the three cross-channel runners, Jukebox Jury, who boasts Group One-winning form on a fast surface.
Johnny Murtagh will be hoping to fill in the one blank on his Irish Classics CV on board Jukebox Jury who is joined in a strong British challenge by both Duncan and Red Cadeaux who landed the Curragh Cup on soft going earlier this season.
However, the race revolves around Fame And Glory and he stepped up appreciably on early season form when wound up for the Ascot Gold Cup in June. A similar increase in performance levels from his last start can be reasonably presumed and if that’s the case, the others are set for a tough day at the office.
The Curragh’s other Group One prize, the Goffs National Stakes, sees Jessica Harrington aiming at back-to back victories with her Futurity winner Dragon Pulse attempting to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Pathfork.
Jeremy Noseda has supplemented his five-length Solario winner Talwar into the race on the suspicion that the Irish juveniles may not be a vintage bunch this year and the apparent Ballydoyle number one, Power, was beaten by the filly La Collina in the Phoenix.
Another O’Brien hope, though, is David Livingston who returned from a near two-month absence with a fourth to Dragon Pulse in the Futurity. He raced very prominently that day, despite which he appeared to be rallying again in the last 100 yards. Pat Smullen’s mount could strip sharper today.
A total of five Group One races are run in Europe this weekend with O’Brien handing the responsibility on Seville in today’s Doncaster St Leger to his 18-year-old son Joseph.
Seville was well behind the Leger favourite Sea Moon in the Voltigeur at York but O’Brien Snr is hopeful of a better show now.
“We always had one eye on the Leger and wanted to slot in one race beforehand. We were very easy on him before York. His run might have disappointed some people but the pace was a bit in and out and we were always looking towards the Leger,” he said.
O’Brien stays local in France tomorrow with Christophe Soumillon on board Wonder Of Wonders in the €350,000 Prix Vermeille and Gerald Mosse riding Zoffany in the €450,000 Prix Du Moulin, the Group One centrepieces of Longchamp’s “Arc Trials” day card.
O’Brien is on 13 Group One winners for 2011 and needs to double that to pass out Frankel’s 2003 record.
Wonder Of Wonders faces a tough task against Goldikova’s sister Galikova, however, while Zoffany tackles eight others including the English hopes Dubawi Gold and Excelebration in the Moulin.
Soumillon has also been handed the responsibility of steering St Nicholas Abbey in the Group Two Prix Foy tomorrow where the Coronation Cup winner takes on a pair of Japanese Arc hopes and the current ante-post favourite for the Arc, Sarafina.
Tomorrow’s Curragh feature is the Group Two Blandford Stakes where the ultra-progressive Bible Belt takes on the tried and trusted Banimpire as well as last year’s winner Eleanora Duse.
With the likelihood of soft ground conditions the day’s best bet could be in the following Solonaway Stakes where Roger Charlton’s Cityscape boasts the outstanding single bit of form. That came in Royal Ascot’s Queen Anne Stakes when third to Canford Cliffs and Goldikova. The Juddmonte-owned five-year-old relishes a cut in the ground and could easily outclass these.
Ruby Walsh returns from two months on the injury sidelines with a single ride at Listowel tomorrow where the seven-day Harvest Festival kicks off. Walsh is on board Salute Him in the five-runner conditions hurdle but Tony Martin’s charge faces a stiff task on the ratings against Plan A.
