Cross-channel action at Cheltenham and Aintree this weekend indicates winter is closing in but four Group One contests — all with Irish runners — ensures the immediate focus is on Europe’s final multi top-flight flat dates of 2022.
Auguste Rodin’s attempt to give Aidan O’Brien a record 11th success in Doncaster’s Vertem Futurity is set to take centre stage, provided ground conditions don’t get gruelling enough to force the trainer into a rethink.
Prior to that, however, O’Brien will also be represented in both Group One juvenile prizes at Saint-Cloud.
With Ryan Moore on duty in Doncaster, O’Brien’s French-based super-sub Ioritz Mendizabal teams up with Espionage who takes on half a dozen rivals in the one-mile Criterium International. The field also includes Donnacha O’Brien’s National Stakes runner-up Proud And Regal.
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That race is off at 12.58 Irish time and half an hour later the Ballydoyle team runs Adelaide River (Mendizabal) and Covent Garden (Dylan Browne McMonagle) in the 10-furlong Criterium De Saint-Cloud.
Another Irish interest in this is through Jim Bolger’s Prix Marcel Boussac runner-up Gan Teorainn.
The Group One focus switches to Longchamp on Sunday where the €350,000 Prix Royal Oak (2.50) includes Dermot Weld’s dual-Irish Leger winner Search For A Song and Princess Zoe.
Testing ground conditions in Paris and Yorkshire means an accent on stamina and will hardly be ideal for Auguste Rodin’s bid to cement his status as next year’s Derby favourite.
Admittedly, both wins to date for the son of Deep Impact have come on easy going although O’Brien believes he will ultimately appreciate a sounder surface.
Auguste Rodin landed a Group Two at Leopardstown during last month’s Irish Champions Weekend when proving a length-and-a-half too good for the filly Caroline Street.
She was subsequently beaten at Group Three level to knock some gloss off the form and in figures terms, the Irish favourite is eclipsed by the local hope Epictetus on what they’ve done to date.
In fact, it can be argued that only Auguste Rodin’s lofty home reputation has him top of the classic betting next year.
However, since Ballydoyle houses a handful of top-class two-year-olds overall, and Auguste Rodin is clearly more than holding his own among them, there is clearly considerable confidence he can graduate to Group One level himself.
Luxembourg’s Futurity success last year took O’Brien to 10 wins in Britain’s final Group One of the year, alongside the legendary Henry Cecil.
He also has the impressive maiden winner Salt Lake City in the eight-runner field and that colt’s win on soft ground last time suggests the going will be no problem.
Despite regular ground concerns at this late stage of the season, the Futurity has rock-solid pedigree of turning up future classic stars and an impressive win for Auguste Rodin in particular won’t be missed by layers.
Van Gogh in 2020 was the last of O’Brien’s record five Criterium International winners although in form terms it is his son who may fancy his chances more this time.
Proud And Regal found only Al Riffa too good in last month’s National Stakes at the Curragh and this looks a prime Group One opportunity for jockey Gavin Ryan.
Gan Teorainn upset massive odds in the Boussac on her last trip to France and takes on colts in the other mile-and-a-quarter Group One at Saint-Cloud.
Sunday’s Royal Oak, the French St Leger, has had just three Irish-trained winners in the last 25 years including Vinne Roe (2001) and Yeats in 2008.
Search For A Song was fourth to Scope a year ago while Princess Zoe filled the same position in 2020 behind Subjectivist.
The latter competed in a gruelling Prix Du Cadran earlier this month although Search For A Song has had longer to recover following a return to something like her best when third to Kyprios in the Irish Leger.
Mullins runner
Another Irish interest on the continent this Sunday involves Emmet Mullins’s Maxine lining up under jockey David Egan in a Group 3 in Hanover.
At home, Saturday’s Leopardstown feature is the Group Three Eyrefield Stakes where Ballydoyle’s strength in depth means a trio of colts line up for the nine-furlong event.
Seamus Heffernan’s presence on Hippodrome suggests he is the stable first-choice but a step up in trip will suit Luxembourg’s brother Hiawatha while Gulf Of Mexico won well on a soft surface last time.
A bumper 15-runner field lines up for the Listed Knockaire Stakes and it shapes as a good opportunity for Glounthaune to return to winning form.
Last year’s Killavullan winner has largely disappointed this season but was better when runner-up to Jadoomi at big odds in a Group Two over Champions Weekend.
His stable companion, Delightful, a sister to three classic winners, can get off the mark in a bumper off a mark of 86.
