Mordon Boy the pick

With no British horse taking part in Sunday's Heinz 57 Phoenix Stakes, John Oxx has taken up the challenge of taking on the might…

With no British horse taking part in Sunday's Heinz 57 Phoenix Stakes, John Oxx has taken up the challenge of taking on the might of Ballydoyle by supplementing his Curragh winner Somerset for the race.

The Sheikh Mohammed owned colt, a half brother to the Mill Reef Stakes winner Russian Bond, was supplemented at a cost of £21,875 yesterday but a remarkable seven of the 13 horses left in are trained by Aidan O'Brien.

The sole British entry, Tribal Note, was beaten at Pontefract yesterday and was confirmed a Leopardstown non-runner by a spokesperson for Peter Chapple-Hyam.

O'Brien has already confirmed Fasliyev as a Heinz runner but can choose from Rossini, Mull Of Kintyre, Finnan, Brahms and Buffalo Berry as back up. His other entry Giants Causeway is likely to wait for York's Acomb Stakes.

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Another supplementary entry for Sunday is the Luca Cumani trained Arkadian Hero in the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint Stakes. Fifteen of the 27 horses left in that race are British trained.

Sligo's two day fixture winds up with an afternoon meeting where Conor O'Dwyer can continue the winning trend with Mordon Boy in the opening maiden hurdle.

O'Dwyer had failed to hit the mark since early June but got back to the winners circle on the 20/1 Blow Wind Blow on the last day of Galway.

The possibility of Mordon Boy doing the same in a moderate contest looks good. A length second to Tally Ho Major in a similar race at Ballinrobe, the seven-year-old filled the same spot to Aran Dawn in a flat race at Killarney.

The selection started odds on in Kerry and is no superstar but with the possible exception of the Ballinrobe third Hebron Rose and Ger Stack's Penzita, there doesn't appear anything to be frightened of.

Miss Bidder took the scalp of Brahms on her debut at Leopardstown and though only fifth subsequently to Desert Sky in a Listed race, she should have the weaponry to take the claiming race.

Tango Pasion, a seven-length winner at Ballinrobe, subsequently couldn't justify favouritism behind Noridc Isle at Galway but looks worth another chance.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column