Sunday Irish Preview: Ranger returns at Naas

There are a couple of big names on the list of declarations for Sunday’s card at Naas (usually run at the Curragh) and one of those is definitely last year’s Derby second US Army Ranger, who is entered for the Group 3 Alleged Stakes.

Before anyone gets too excited, however, it is definitely worth noting Aidan O’Brien’s record in the Alleged Stakes. Since the 2010 running he has saddled six runners and no winners, with those beaten including Fame And Glory in 2010 (at odds of 2/5), St Nicholas Abbey in 2011 (4/11), Ernest Hemingway in 2013 (7/2) and Found (9/10) in last year’s renewal. Found came on plenty for her run in the race last year, and posted a performance some 16 lb better on Timeform ratings when winning the Mooresbridge Stakes on her next start. Though O’Brien had winners on the opening day of the Irish Flat season courtesy of Alphabet and Orderofthegarter, the likes of Venice Beach and Bound shaped as though they’d come on for their first outings at Leopardstown on Wednesday and it is hard to be conclusive about how forward his string are at this stage.

US Army Ranger only made his debut a year ago (in the ten-furlong maiden on this card) and though he didn’t improve on his Derby second in three subsequent starts last season, he is very much the type to make a better four-year-old, and whether he wins on Sunday or not, is one to look forward to this term. His biggest rivals in Sunday’s race look to be Success Days, who beat US Army Ranger in the Royal Whip Stakes last season and has won off a break before, and the lightly raced Lustrous Light, who represents the in-form Ger Lyons yard and was progressive last season (until running below form in the Ballyroan Stakes on his final outing).

The other star name on the card is Alice Springs, who is entered for the Group 3 Gladness Stakes over seven furlongs. O’Brien’s record in this race isn’t sparkling in terms of figures (saddled seven runners across the last four renewals with no success), but he arguably hasn’t saddled a horse of the quality of Alice Springs since he took the 2012 renewal with Excelebration. Alice Springs was beaten on her reappearance last season over this trip (her only start which was short of a mile that term) but she was given plenty to do that day and in hindsight had plenty on her plate attempting to reel in subsequent Irish 1000 Guineas winner Jet Setting on heavy ground.

There would not appear to be another US Army Ranger lurking in the ten-furlong maiden that closes the card but Ryan Moore’s choice of the O’Brien quartet, Diodorus, sets a useful standard on his second in a listed race on his final two-year-old start. Diodorus was beaten half a length by Dubai Sands over nine furlongs at Leopardstown in October, and though he is out of a five-furlong winner, the way he shaped that day suggests he should have no problem with the extra furlong here on his first three-year-old start.