King Of Kings won Ireland's premier two year old colts race, the National Stakes, in 1997 and his full sister Amethyst looks a value bet to take the fillies equivalent in tomorrow's Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.
Only the optimistic would suggest that Amethyst has the same level of natural brilliance that King Of Kings had but she looked a very smart prospect on her debut at Naas and in truth this doesn't appear the strongest Moyglare ever run.
The filly with winning Group form is the surprise Cherry Hinton winner Torgau who leads a party of five cross-channel raiders. Yet the most hyped of the British runners is Littlefeather who is bidding to give Mark Prescott a first Group 1 success in Ireland.
An easy five-length defeat of Rythem In Time at Chester last time followed up earlier victories at Newmarket and Ripon. As a half-sister to Marling and Caerwent, it's not surprising that Littlefeather's strongest asset is speed but there must be a doubt about her over the seven furlongs and this is her first attempt at pattern level.
On the whole Littlefeather may not be a value favourite although she does look to have the best prospects of regaining the race for Britain after two successive home wins.
Edabiya won it for John Oxx last year and he relies on the Tipperary winner Mandama. She beat Alluring by a head on that occasion so Amethyst's trainer Aidan O'Brien should know where he stands with her and it's surely significant that Amethyst is his sole runner from four entries at the last forfeit stage.
The fly in the ointment of the Amethyst argument is how she was beaten by Preseli at Leopardstown last time when a 1 to 4 favourite. Yet she should be a different proposition this time.
For one Amethyst should strip fitter and she is also likely to get a lead. The impression at Leopardstown was that she set a pace faster than was ultimately good for her and just couldn't last out. Ridden with more restraint tomorrow, Amethyst can use her undoubted speed to cut these down and what odds Yara will come through to finish second again for the eighth successive time?
It could be a very good day all round for the Ballydoyle camp. The beautifully bred Aspen Leaves hasn't run since May but she will relish the ground drying out and is taken to beat the 12-length Galway winner South Of Heaven in the Group 3 Matron Stakes.
O'Brien can also score with the top-weight Rubies From Burma in the five furlong sprint but Poco A Poco is selected to beat Warrior Queen in the opening Round Tower Stakes.
Just five runners means a lack of early pace is possible and Warrior Queen ruined her chance in the Lowther at York by pulling too hard. If she does that again, she may be vulnerable to Poco A Poco who should have improved from her Leopardstown debut behind Ostrovsky where she had to challenge wide.
The handicap feature is the Cambridgeshire which looks a very trappy contest especially if the ground dries out as forecast. Free To Speak tops the weights but he likes a dig in the going as do the likes of Golden Fact and Wray.
Vivo appears to be not the most reliable of customers and also likes some juice in the ground so a tentative alternative suggestion is Graduated who reverts to the flat after an unsuccessful tilt over hurdles.
