The Grey Gatsby ready to put great back in flagging Gold Cup

The Grey Gatsby heads a field of just six into Sunday's Tattersalls Gold Cup but it really is all about quality over quantity for the Curragh's Group

One highlight.

Faced with the possible loss of its top-flight status if it fails to feature a sufficiently high handicap average (115) amongst its first four finishers, the €250,000 contest looks to have the numbers in its favour.

Only the 100/1 outsider Highly Toxic could live up to his name in ratings terms should he sneak into the first four but so much of this 2015 renewal revolves around The Grey Gatsby.

Potentially vintage

Last season’s joint top-rated European three-year-old with Australia and Kingman, the grey has his ideal combination of an extended mile and a quarter, plus decent ground, which should make him hard to beat and contribute to a potentially vintage Group One weekend for

Ryan Moore

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Britain’s top rider is on the odds-on Gleneagles in the 2,000 Guineas and will also fancy his chances of adding to last year’s 1,000 success on Marvellous with the ante-post classic favourite Found.

A 1,000 Guineas field of 18 is a contrast to Sunday’s other Group One and an indicator of a lot of people fancying their chances of a classic success.

The renowned National Hunt trainer Jessica Harrington has twice finished third in the 1,000 Guineas but pitches in two viable candidates this time, notably Bocca Baciata, while another trainer seeking a first classic is Michael Halford, who has the Aga Khan's Raydara.

Bocca Baciata’s Salsabil Stakes victory could hardly have been better advertised in form terms and Harrington’s apparent number one will again clash with the Navan runner-up Pleascach, who has since sluiced up in the Blue Wind Stakes. In contrast Found’s return to action in the Athasi earlier this month was a comparative let-down.

Aidan O’Brien though was at pains afterwards to say how Found would come on for the run and ground conditions are more suitable now. Most importantly, the regally bred filly boasts the most outstanding piece of form in this race, a Boussac defeat of Ervedya who won the French 1,000 Guineas a fortnight ago.

The O’Brien-Moore team will hope Giovanni Canaletto can prove himself a genuine Derby contender in the Group Three Airlie Stud Gallinule Stakes. If he can’t cope with 107-rated Dee Stakes third Prince Gagarin, then blue-riband dreams will look ropey.