RACING:AIDAN O'BRIEN is pursuing in force a 12th success in Sunday's Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at the Curragh, a race with a long history of producing classic champions.
The Ballydoyle trainer has half of the 16 entries left in the €95,000 Group Two feature after yesterday’s forfeit stage. But he has decided against leaving in Mars, already a 10 to 1 favourite for next year’s Epsom Derby.
Ground conditions at the weekend look set to be testing with the going at HQ yesterday officially “soft to heavy” and with an unsettled weather outlook ahead.
Instead O’Brien’s team of blue-bloods is headed by Battle Of Marengo, as low as 16 to 1 for the 2013 Derby, and Eye Of The Storm who is a general 25 to 1 shot for blue-riband glory next year.
That might be a long time in the future. But the Beresford’s credentials as a source of top-flight winners is long-established, from Nijinsky in 1969 through Assert (1981), Sadler’s Wells (1983) and up to Sea The Stars four years ago.
David Livingston’s success last year leaves O’Brien needing one more for the round dozen. Although his Ballydoyle predecessor, Vincent O’Brien, remains out on his own in the record books with 14 Beresford successes.
Trading Leather advertised Battle Of Marengo’s Listed win at Leopardstown on Champion Stakes day with a wide-margin win at Gowran on Sunday and Jim Bolger has left his highly-regarded colt in on Sunday. Trading Leather also has the option of Saturday’s Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket this weekend.
David Wachman’s Galileo Rock is a 20 to 1 shot for Derby glory next year on the back of a wide-margin debut win at Leopardstown and Wachman has also left in his Railway Stakes winner Probably.
Co Tyrone-based trainer Andy Oliver intends giving his Futurity winner, First Cornerstone, the chance to further enhance his reputation on Sunday.
“We will wait until later in the week before making a decision about Sunday’s race, but First Cornerstone could not be in better form and has thrived since his last race,” said Oliver yesterday. “While he has never won on extremes of ground, we would not be concerned about testing ground for him because we know from the last day that he handles it well.”
Sunday’s main support is the CL Weld Park Stakes and Dermot Weld could try and win the race named after his father with the highly-rated Juddmonte filly Big Break.
The sister to Famous Name was impressive when winning at Leopardstown earlier in the month and is one of three Weld hopes left among the two dozen entries.
Also left in the Park Stakes is the Aga Khan’s Tarana, who was impressive when winning on her course debut, and Magical Dream who is also in contention to run in Friday’s Fillies Mile in Newmarket.
There are three overseas challengers in Savanna La Mar, Sorella Bella and Waterway Run. A number of Park entries also have the option on Sunday of switching to the Listed Anglesey Lodge Blenheim Stakes including the Ballydoyle filly Infanta Branca and David Wachman’s Awakened Spirit.
