ARAZAN HAS to take on the might of the Ballydoyle operation in tomorrow's Group One feature at the Curragh but John Oxx's unbeaten colt can still confirm himself an outstanding Classic candidate for 2009.
The Bank of Scotland National Stakes has a history of throwing up talent and Aidan O'Brien has used it to develop the careers of top horses like George Washington, Hawk Wing and King Of Kings.
O'Brien has won the race six times in total and has five of the eight runners tomorrow, including the current 2,000 Guineas favourite, Mastercraftsman, who won the Phoenix Stakes in great style last month.
Ground conditions will be very different now, but the unbeaten Mastercraftsman did win on ground with a cut in it on his debut. More of a concern may be the seven furlongs that he tackles for the first time.
In contrast, Arazan won by four lengths over the course and distance, and on heavy ground, in the Futurity. That only confirmed the high opinion the Oxx team have of the half-brother to Azamour.
As well as the Ballydoyle battalion, Arazan will have to contend with the cross-channel raider Shaweel and Intense Focus, who will attempt to give Jim Bolger a third successive win in the race. However, the Aga Khan's regally-bred horse looks up to the task.
Oxx and O'Brien will also clash in the Group Three Solonaway Stakes where the unexposed three-year-olds Kargali and Zulu Chief take on last year's winner Jumbajukiba.
Zulu Chief would prefer better ground but maybe the drop back to a mile will negate that enough for the Ballydoyle horse to win.
Bolger won a Stakes race with a newcomer at the last Curragh fixture and can repeat the feat in the Blenheim Stakes with Gleigeal.
Colm O'Donoghue enjoyed one of his best moments at Longchamp when Astronomer Royal won last year's French 2,000 Guineas and he will be hoping for more good fortune in Paris tomorrow when he leads a three-strong Aidan O'Brien team into the Group One Prix Vermeille.
O'Donoghue rides the Irish Oaks runner-up Ice Queen against the hot favourite Zarkava, while Jamie Spencer will be on Monday's Galway winner Honoria with David McCabe on Adored.
King Of Rome, with O'Donoghue on board, runs in the Group Two Prix Niel, a traditional Arc trial which sees the French Derby winner, Vision D'Etat, among the seven-strong field.
