Ten Sovereigns out to continue unbeaten run at Newmarket

Aidan O’Brien’s juvenile odds-on to win the Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes

Aidan O'Brien's exciting juvenile star Ten Sovereigns is odds-on to maintain his unbeaten record in Saturday's Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Twice a winner at the Curragh, Ten Sovereigns tops a Ballydoyle quartet among 13 entries still left in the Middle Park which O'Brien has won a record five times. US Navy Flag was the latest to win the six furlong feature in 2017.

US Navy Flag himself has landed in Australia ahead of an ambitious tilt at next month's 'Everest' at the Randwick track in Sydney while O'Brien's international reach is also expected to see Mendelssohn line up at Belmont Park this Saturday night.

Mendelssohn is among the market leaders for the $750,000 Jockey Club Cup where Godolphin’s Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow is also due to line up.

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Closer to home Ireland’s champion trainer is set to target Newmarket’s weekend action in strength.

Fairyland and So Perfect are among a handful of Ballydoyle entries for Saturday’s other Group One, the Cheveley Park Stakes for fillies.

They are likely to be joined by Sheila Lavery’s Lady Kaya and Jessica Harrington’s Servalan, although the betting is dominated by Pretty Pollyana and Signora Cabello. They finished 1-2 in last month’s Prix Morny at Deauville.

Signora Cabello's trainer John Quinn is keenly anticipating a rematch and said on Monday: "It was a wonderful sight to see those two fillies duelling [in the Morny] and pulling clear of the best put in front of them.

“Saturday is a different day and on a different track. It was a tough race in the Morny but the timing has been good.

“She’s the best filly I’ve ever trained: she’s a very, very good two-year-old. She’s the second highest rated two-year-old in Europe, so that speaks for itself.”

O’Brien is chasing a three-in-row in the Cheveley Park after wins for Brave Anna (2016) and Clemmie a year ago.

The Irishman could break new ground, however, if Kenya takes up the option of running in the bet363 English Cambridgeshire.

Kenya has been installed a 12-1 shot in some lists to pull off a Cambridgeshire double, having pulled off the Irish version at the Curragh earlier this month.

The colt has appeared since in Group Two company when finding only his stable companion I Can Fly too good in the Boomerang Stakes over Irish Champions Weekend.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

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