More than one wag could be forgiven for quipping that it's deja vu all over again when Orpen lines up for today's 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Orpen's dark blue colours were carried to success in this race last year by King Of Kings and Aidan O'Brien is again bringing a colt with a big reputation to Newmarket without a warm up race.
It seems to be a successful tactic too. Four of the last five 2,000 Guineas winners had not left home before hitting Newmarket and confidence is increasing at Ballydoyle that Orpen may be in the same mould.
Unbeaten in two starts as a juvenile including the Group 1 Prix Morny, Orpen has reportedly been showing blinding speed on the home gallops giving rise to some stamina doubts for the mile.
O'Brien wasn't dismissing those fears yesterday and admitted: "He was such a fast two-year-old that you would have to have worries but I am very hopeful he will run a big race."
Such caution could be interpreted as a lack of confidence from more vocal trainers but not from the famously circumspect Master of Ballydoyle. Jockey Michael Kinane is more publicly confident about Orpen's stamina however.
"He does have a lot of speed but the way he is working you would have to be very hopeful he will get the trip," said Kinane who is bidding for a fourth 2,000 Guineas and a third in a row.
Godolphin's Island Sands is the dark horse of the race and Enrique has come in for late market support but Enrique's chance only promotes Orpen's even more. Exeat, who was quickly catching Enrique in the Greenham, was no match for the Irish colt in the Morny.
Commander Collins is another trying to win on his seasonal debut but he could be more of a stayer so Orpen, named after the portrait painter Sir William Orpen, is selected in the belief that he will be the class of the race.
Twelve months ago, after King Of Kings' victory, Shahtoush was a gallant second in the 1,000 Guineas but it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that Sunspangled could complete a famous Ballydoyle double tomorrow.
Sunspangled has reportedly thrived during the winter and although she was in season earlier in the week, O'Brien confirmed yesterday that she is now out of it.
With 22 runners, tomorrow's fillies classic has the biggest field since 1980 and includes Tommy Stack's Moyglare runner up Fear And Greed. She is not without a chance of giving Stack a second success in the race and the French trained Moiava will also be a tough nut to crack but Sunspangled is just preferred.
