The Tommy Stack team will be hoping for an ideal weekend warm-up from Ariege in today's May Hill Stakes at Doncaster, but already there is confidence in the stable that fast conditions will be no deterrent to Myboycharlie confirming his status as Europe's highest-rated juvenile at the Curragh on Sunday.
Myboycharlie made it three wins from three starts when impressively landing the Prix Morny at Deauville last month, and neither the step up to seven furlongs nor a faster surface thahe has ever encountered is concerning connections ahead a possible Group One double in the Bank of Scotland National Stakes.
"I don't think fast ground will be a problem," said Stack's son and assistant, "Fozzie". "He worked on it last week and everything went fine. We've always thought he would be better on good ground and I certainly don't think he will go backwards on it."
Ireland's most coveted juvenile prize for colts could yet turn into ainternational clash with Godolphin's Rio De La Plata and the highly rated New Approach still rated among the possibles, along with 10 entries from Aidan O'Brien's yard and Famous Name from Dermot Weld's stable.
But Myboycharlie is a clear stand-out on figures, having achieved a rating of 122 when landing the Morny, a handicap mark that puts him a full 7lb ahead of New Approach.
"We have had an uninterrupted preparation, and a clear run since France. Kieren (Fallon) rode him here during the week and he will ride in the race," Stack said, before addressing Ariege's chance this afternoon.
"She has travelled over well. We've always felt she needed good ground. We were surprised she ran as well as she did at the Curragh on heavy (fourth to Campfire Glow in the Debutante Stakes)."
The ground at the Curragh is "good to firm" and little change is expected over the lucrative three-day meeting, which begins with the €3.3 million Goffs Millions Sales races tomorrow.
"Apart from the possibility of 2mm of rain on Thursday night, the forecast is settled. That small amount won't make any difference so we're still watering away," reported the Curragh manager, Paul Hensey.
Boylesports are going just 1 to 3 about Aidan O'Brien supplying the first and second in Saturday's Irish Field Irish St Leger, where the champion trainer is still expected to saddle both Yeats and Scorpion. But Scorpion remains among the six entries in Sunday's Prix Foy at Longchamp, a major trial for the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe, that also includes Manduro and Mandesha.
O'Brien is expected to be in action in another Arc trial in Paris on Sunday as the Irish Derby hero Soldier Of Fortune is due to return in the Prix Niel alongside the highly rated Zambezi Sun. That leaves the quartet of Honolulu, Macarthur, Mahler and Acapulco to attempt to secure O'Brien a fourth success in Saturday's Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster in what will be a major Group One weekend.
Seamus Heffernan is due to be on board either Yeats or Scorpion in the Irish Leger on Saturday, but Ballydoyle's number two rider looks the man to follow in the opening juvenile maidens at Tipperary today.
Cant Do It Alone is an interesting newcomer in the fillies event, but Majority could be a bet in the colts event considering his rate of improvement. Last of 25 on his Curragh debut, Majority was fourth to Rock Of Rochelle back at headquarters 11 days ago.
