SUNDAY'S MOYGLARE Stud Stakes will be a rare Group One prize without an Aidan O'Brien- trained runner and instead it is his old boss Jim Bolger who has strength in numbers for the Curragh's weekend feature.
Bolger has five of the 17 entries remaining in Ireland's most prestigious prize for juvenile fillies as he attempts to follow up last year's success by Saoirse Abu.
That filly was completing a Group One double having earlier landed the Phoenix Stakes but the apparent Bolger number one this time, Cuis Ghaire, is on a retrieval mission having beaten only one home on her last start in the Debutante Stakes. That came on testing ground conditions at Leopardstown and Bolger reported yesterday that Cuis Ghaire will take her chance this weekend provided ground conditions aren't similar to that.
Royal Ascot's Albany Stakes winner could be joined by her stable companion Marina Of Venice and the three other Coolcullen hopes in the Moyglare but bookmakers haven't hesitated to install Again as a 9 to 4 ante-post favourite.
The David Wachman-trained filly was a three-length winner of the Debutante earlier this month but won't have the services of John Murtagh this time as the jockey is serving a three-day suspension this weekend. Again carries the colours of Michael Tabor and Wachman has three other options for the race after yesterday's forfeit stage.
An Aidan O'Brien-trained entry is conspicuous by its absence and the champion trainer in total has just four entries for this Sunday's meeting where ground conditions could be better than has been generally experienced recently. "The round course is soft and the straight course heavy right now. But the forecast is good for Thursday, Friday and Saturday so we are hoping there will be significant improvement in the ground," the Curragh manager Paul Hensey said yesterday. "The best-case scenario is that we might reach something like the soft side of good."
Kevin Prendergast was a Moyglare winner 28 years ago with Arctique Royale and Cashmans rate the Storm Cat filly Shimah as a 5 to 2 second favourite to bridge that long gap.
There are two British entries with Richard Hannon represented by Baileys Cacao and Mick Channon taking a look at the race with Danidh Dubai. The Moyglare is the feature on Sunday but the biggest name on show will arguably be last year's English and Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Finsceal Beo who takes a dramatic drop in class to the Listed Dance Design Stakes over nine furlongs.
Another Group One winner on show will be the course specialist Benbaun in the Group Three Cill Dara Security Flying Five Stakes. The Mark Wallace-trained star is one of a hugely powerful British entry of 11 among a total 15-strong entry for the race. Elletelle and Snaefell head the quartet with chances of keeping the prize at home.
Meanwhile, the Tommy Stack team have confirmed that their unbeaten filly Unsung Heroine will take her chance in next month's St Leger at Doncaster.
Today's Irish action is at Bellewstown where the former Group Three winner Bobs Pride should score in the amateur riders race. The father and son Tony and Danny Mullins can score in the first handicap with Rock And Roll Kid while Gay Sloane can get the better of Quinmaster in the conditions hurdle.
BETTING:Moyglare Stud Stakes: (Cashmans bet): 9-4 Again, 5-2 Shimah, 4 Cuis Ghaire, 7 Baileys Cacao, 8 Rare Ransom, 10 Beyond Our Reach, 12 Sugar Free, 14 Danidh Duabi, 20 Bar.
