Irish Preview: O'Brien could steal the show

There are three Group races due to take place at the Curragh on Sunday, starting with the Group 2 Debutante Stakes, a race for two-year-old fillies over seven furlongs, dominated in recent years by Aidan O’Brien.

As you’d expect, there are a host of lightly-raced, unexposed fillies in here, but the one who sets the standard on Timeform ratings is the more experienced Skitter Scatter.

Turn-up in the Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes - the highly-touted Goddess finishes last as Skitter Scatter lands the Group 3 prize under jockey Ronan Whelan for trainer Patrick Prendergast at @LeopardstownRC: pic.twitter.com/awHW5ushNS

— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) July 26, 2018

A tough and consistent filly, Skitter Scatter displayed a most willing attitude when winning the Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes on her most recent run at Leopardstown in July, and is well worth her place in this line-up. She is the only runner in the field with a Group success under her belt, though there are plenty of dangers, and O’Brien saddles three with similar profiles in the form of Peach Tree, Hermosa and Zagitova.

All are twice-raced fillies who won on their most recent run and are open to further improvement. Narrow preference is for Zagitova, a half-sister to Garswood who showed plenty of pace when running to a useful level over a mile last time. Peach Tree is respected, but we may not see the best of her until she’s stepped up in trip considering her pedigree (full-sister to the Munster Oaks winner Flattering).

Viadera is another worthy of a mention, having held her own in Group 3 company on just her second start in the Anglesey Stakes at this track last month, and she is open to further improvement. As is Lady Kaya, who turned an interesting fillies event over C&D into a procession last time, winning by 10 lengths, and that her owners have turned down big-money offers since. 

Six are due to take their chance in the Group 2 Futurity Stakes, which this time sees the two-year-old colts head to post.

As you would expect, O’Brien again holds a strong hand here, and sends three in the form of Mohawk, Christmas and Anthony Van Dyck. Only Jim Bolger has managed to prevent Aidan O’Brien from winning this race in the last five years, and Anthony Van Dyck sits 5 lb clear on Timeform’s weight-adjusted figures for the race. He has improved with each of his three starts, and built on an impressive maiden win at Killarney in July when taking the Group 3 Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown 11 days later in taking fashion. He looks a high-class colt in the making, and with this likely to be a stop on the way to a potential tilt at the Dewhurst, he should be very difficult to beat.

The progressive Christmaswon his last two starts, but faces a much stiffer test here, and the biggest threat could well come from Klute. The form of his maiden win is working out well (the re-opposing Guaranteed has won since) and it is notable how professional he looked on his first start. With more improvement likely, he can give Anthony Van Dyck the most to think about.

The Group 3 Royal Whip Stakes is the final of the three pattern contests on the card, and there isn’t much between the top three on Timeform’s weight-adjusted ratings.

The one who sits top of the figures is Verbal Dexterity, one of just three three-year-olds in the field, who was fourth in the Racing Post Trophy when last seen. Whilst it is encouraging that he got within four lengths of both Saxon Warrior and Roaring Lion, it is worth noting that he was a slight disappointment on the day, looking slightly ring rusty after a setback, and he may well need this run.

Success Days has generally been racing in higher company than this and will be a threat if allowed to dominate from the front (served as a pacemaker for Romanised at Deauville last time), though he is struggling for form at present and narrow preference is for Deauville, another who has been running in better races of late. Whilst he was unable to take advantage of a drop to this level in the Icon Meld Stakes at Leopardstown two starts ago, he ran respectably back in Group 1 company at Arlington most recently, making late gains from the rear. A repeat of that run could well be enough for him to take this should everything fall right.