Mutafaweq should win for Godolphin

It's a Group One weekend at the Curragh featuring today's Jefferson Smurfit Irish St Leger, and as the sole classic victor in the field Mutafaweq should be an entirely appropriate winner of the last Irish classic of the season.

The Godolphin runner was a wonderfully gallant winner of last year's Doncaster St Leger, finishing distressed but still two length clear of the double Oaks winner, Ramruma.

In truth, Mutafaweq hasn't appeared quite as good this season but it's probably even more true that this is hardly a vintage renewal of this race. The three other English raiders are decent, although the suspicion must be that they fall slightly short of the top class; while the main Irish hopes, Katiykha and Chimes Of Midnight, also look like they need to improve.

Which is not to say they won't. Chimes Of Midnight, a 46,000 guineas purchase out of Aidan O'Brien's yard, would be a fairytale winner for the Co Meath permit holder, Luke Comer, and the Danzig colt comes to the Curragh on the back of a career-best run when third to Millenary in last weekend's English Leger.

Comer is convinced that hasn't affected his horse and has shelved out an almost £22,000 supplementary fee to back up that conviction. Chimes Of Midnight would be the romantic winner in terms of the small man taking on the sport's giants, but the general view is that the Doncaster classic was not a vintage race either.

Katiykha beat Chimes Of Midnight in her last start, and whatever ante-post money around during the week was for her. John Oxx has won the Leger twice with fillies and gave a reasonably upbeat bulletin yesterday, commenting: "She's rated 110, so she needs to improve but she seems to have done that. I was delighted with her last race and she could end up fighting it out."

Mutafaweq, in contrast, looks the proven article. He will be the first horse since Touching Wood in 1982 to win both Legers if he does score and Godolphin have a proven record in this race, winning it for the last two years with Kayf Tara.

Mutafaweq is at his best on fast ground, something he didn't get at all behind Samum in Germany last time, but he did finish third to Montjeu in the Tattersalls Gold Cup in the spring when there was a dig in the ground.

He may not be quite as good this year as last but at least Mutafaweq has won a Group One this season in Munich in July. The general form of Little Rock and last year's runner-up Yavana's Pace looks to amount to much of a muchness, so the quality of the race looks to be in Mutafaweq.

The other Group race on today's card is the Aon MacDonagh Boland Stakes and that too has a Godolphin runner. Maidaan was a winner in Abu Dhabi in the spring but doesn't look the easiest ride, so Dettori could have his work cut out. In contrast, Social Harmony looks a very straightforward horse and can score for the championship-seeking Pat Smullen.

The prestige of the Aga Khan Studs National Stakes is at a high with the three-year-old exploits of last year's winner, Sinndar, and those who see Aidan O'Brien supplying half of tomorrow's field and write it off, might do well to remember that the star who was expected to emerge from last year's race was Bernstein.

Nevertheless, the Ballydoyle trainer does supply a strong team, and with Michael Kinane on Darwin, the well-touted colt must the be selection. He was, after all, made favourite for next year's 2,000 Guineas having made his May debut.

The Leger hope, Chimes At Midnight, has also been given an entry in the Group Three Blandford Stakes but the safest option in the circumstances could also be to side with Ballydoyle and the mud-loving Chiang-Mai, who is having a first run since the Irish 1,000 Guineas.

As interesting a runner as any over the weekend however will be Sinndar's half brother, Sindapour, who makes his debut in the last.

Tom Queally, the rising star of flat racing, enjoyed his fourth double in his first season when claiming both apprentice races at Downpatrick yesterday.

The 15-year-old Dungarvan rider made all the running on Sharavogue Cookie, trained by Charlie Swan, to win the Derrinstown Stud Mothers Pride Apprentice Maiden, his 24th success.

Luna Fleur, a winner for Queally at Wexford last month, completed the youngster's double with a comfortable six length success for trainer Noel Meade in the Mace Northern Ireland Champion Apprentice Handicap.