Irish Racing/Weekend previews:Saoire is a filly that seems to specialise in "firsts" and the Frances Crowley-trained star can prove the point with a vengeance in tomorrow's Darley Irish Oaks at the Curragh.
Already assured of a place in the history books thanks to success in May's Irish 1,000 Guineas, Saoire's career to date seems to have almost been an exercise in re-writing those self same records.
Crowley memorably became the first woman to ever officially train a Classic winner due to that narrow Guineas victory and a person will have to trawl long and hard to find another Classic scorer that has ever been bred in Wales.
Tomorrow, Crowley's husband, Pat Smullen, joins the record-breaking team and if Saoire comes out on top again, the fact that she will become the first to complete the Guineas-Oaks double since Godetia 26 years ago will seem like a minor subplot compared to everything else .
In every sense then the daughter of Pivotal, who cost just 4,000 guineas as a youngster, is value for money. From a punting point of view she remains so too as the general 10 to 1 available yesterday looks to provide very decent each-way value.
It certainly wouldn't have been available if Saoire hadn't run in the Pretty Polly last month where she ultimately finished only eighth behind Alexander Goldrun. Saoire was in season that day, however, and while Crowley and Smullen don't put that forward as an excuse, the interference she suffered in the straight looked to effectively ruin her chance.
"It was a very messy race but it meant she didn't have a hard time so it could be a blessing," said Smullen who rides his wife's trainee for the third time. "This is a race both Frances and I thought would be her main aim all year so hopefully we'll be proved correct. She's a Guineas winner and has to prove she'll get a mile and a half but we think she will."
Up against Saoire will be an international field, including the French filly Shawanda, one of three €40,000 supplementary entries, as well as a trio from Britain. Two of those, Dash To The Top and Playful Act, have been prominent in the ante-post betting on the strength of just one run each this year. It will be some leap up to Classic standard for both of them while the Ribblesdale winner Thakafaat looks short of this class.
Most certainly not, though, is Pictavia who the bookies rate the main Irish hope. Just behind Saoire in the English Guineas, Jim Bolger's hope ran third to Eswarah at Epsom when quite patently not acting on the track. That's not an issue now, but in terms of betting value her price doesn't look nearly as attractive as Saoire's considering both are 109-rated fillies.
Chelsea Rose would be a fairytale winner for the veteran trainer Con Collins and her form is inextricably linked with both Saoire and Pictavia. Of the others, Mona Lisa may be a live outsider to provide Aidan O'Brien with a first winner of the race, but overall Saoire looks the best "holiday" option.
Brunel got a dead head-heat verdict in France last time after the photo-finish equipment at Longchamp broke down, but it's worth betting he will need plenty of similar luck to cope with the progressive Caradak in the Group Three Minstrel Stakes.
Aussie Rules is being talked of as a potential Classic horse for next year and if that is correct he will have to impress in the Anglesey Stakes, but his stable companion Charismatic Cat could have to give best in the last to Burren Rose who will relish a return to fast ground.
