RACING / Curragh Saturday preview: Vinnie Roe faces his hardest Irish Field St Leger task yet as he goes in search of a historic third success in a row in the final Classic of the season.
Just six line up for the €300,000 race but they include last year's English Leger winner Bollin Eric and Aidan O'Brien's progressive three-year-old Powerscourt.
Throw in ground forecast to be "good to firm" on the Leger track and Dermot Weld is not underestimating the task facing his star stayer.
"I think Vinnie Roe is the same horse as he was but I also believe this is the toughest Leger of the three. Bollin Eric is a high-class stayer and I have a lot of respect for Powerscourt who is improving rapidly," Weld said yesterday.
The Curragh trainer is also on the Classic trail with Maharaib - "I would like a drop of rain but he will run a very good race" - in the Doncaster Leger and along with O'Brien is in line to bring off a remarkable Leger double in the space of just 20 minutes.
O'Brien runs Brian Boru in England but significantly Michael Kinane stays at home for the Powerscourt ride.
O'Brien said of the Great Voltigeur winner yesterday: "He has been in very good form since York and he likes decent ground. He is one of those good actioned Sadler's Wells horses. One is never sure about them staying a mile and six but he has always worked like a horse that would stay."
Kieren Fallon is on Gamut but the main English threat looks to come from Bollin Eric who followed up a King George fourth with an easy win at York and who came into his own at this time last year. Then he was the improver but this time round it looks to be Powerscourt who can fill in a rare Group One blank for O'Brien.
Bollin Eric's rider, Kevin Darley, can hit the mark an hour later, however, courtesy of Fayr Jag in the Group Three Ridgewood Pearl Stakes. This one's form with Somnus looks pretty smart since that horse's Group One success last weekend.
Glocca Morra surprised connections with a success over six furlongs last time but now goes back to the minimum trip in the premier handicap. Now rated 14lb higher, Glocca Moora could struggle against the sprint specialist Assigh Lady.
