Racing: It took the brilliant Alamshar to halt a run of six straight victories for Aidan O'Brien in the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes and John Oxx's latest juvenile star, Azamour, could be good enough to continue the new trend.
Tomorrow, the Curragh also hosts the reapearance of the Irish Oaks-heroine Vintage Tipple in the Listed Barathea Finale Stakes but the classic filly will have to compete for the headlines with the Group Two feature.
Some Ballydoyle legends have won the mile race including Nijinsky in 1969 and Sadler's Wells in 1983. However, the six-winner stretch from 1996-2001 was unprecedented and O'Brien has three of the seven runners this time round.
Michael Kinane is on the Tralee winner Five Dynasties and there was plenty to like about the way this Danehill colt won on his debut. Certainly he looked a more reliable option than stable companion Amalie Bay.
But anyone who heard the post race response to Azamour's winning debut cannot have failed to be impressed.
"A lovely horse," said Oxx, for whom hype really is a four letter word. Then significantly, he added: "The Beresford could be stretching a bit at this stage so we could wait for the Killavullan Stakes."
Yet the Night Shift colt lines up tomorrow. In itself that is eyecatching but by tomorrow evening the eyecatcher could be Azamour himself.
Vintage Tipple's blood was not right for a few days after her astonishingly poor run in last month's Irish Champion Stakes but apart from that no explanation has come to light.
A run in last weekend's Prix de l'Opera was ruled out in favour of the home Listed option over the same Oaks course and distance she won on in July. At her very best, the Paddy Mullins-trained filly would be an obvious contender but a value alternative could be the colt Maharib.
Dermot Weld's horse ran well in the Doncaster Leger after hitting the front early on the long straight. It indicated a colt on the up, a point he can prove tomorrow.
The big handicap is the Cesarewitch where the top juvenile hurdler Golden Cross appears alongside a bunch of proven handicappers. The dark horse, however, may the Tony Mullins-trained Theme Song.
This one is potentially a star over flights this winter but has shown enough in his last three starts to suggest he can pick up a major flat pot like this into the bargain.
Show Me The Roses was a Cheveley Park Stakes entry up until the final declarations, which suggests she is highly regarded at Ballydoyle. A sixth to Venturi in the Park Stakes wasn't spellbinding but the filly looks a reasonable option in the Flame Of Tara Stakes.
The other Listed contest is the Waterford Testimonial Stakes which has attracted three British-trained runners and a dangerous topweight in Avorado. However, the step back up to six furlongs should suit Hanabad who missed out to Anna Frid at Cork.
