RACING/WEEKEND PREVIEWS:RICHARD HANNON'S hugely impressive juvenile team have failed to hit the Group One target so far this season but Memory can put that right with a vengeance in tomorrow's Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.
Hannon’s two-year-olds have so far swept all before them in Britain and the only hiccups have come when Strong Suit failed to justify very short odds in the Phoenix Stakes and Libranno came up short in last weekend’s Prix Morny.
Along with the likes of King Torus and Zebedee, Hannon’s colts in general have been hugely impressive but Richard Hannon Jnr earlier this week revealed he believes the best of the whole juvenile squad could be their unbeaten filly Memory.
It’s not hard to make the case either as the Highclere-owned filly followed up her maiden success in May with a Group Three Albany victory in June’s Royal Ascot festival and seemed to be improving all the time when overcoming trouble in running to score in last month’s Group Two Cherry Hinton at Newmarket.
The Highclere spokesman Harry Herbert said yesterday: “I spoke to Richard and he said she worked very nicely on grass on Wednesday. Physically she is very well and mentally she is growing up so it is very exciting.
“It’s a very hot race and everything has to go right but to go into a Moyglare as a hot favourite is very exciting. I’m glad the rain has stayed away and I don’t think the extra furlong is a problem.”
The Curragh was considering watering yesterday to maintain good to firm ground and that should be ideal for Memory who is already a 6 to 1 ante-post favourite for next year’s 1,000 Guineas.
She is the sole cross-channel raider for a race that only one British trained horse – Mail The Desert (2002) – has won in the last 13 years.
Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien has four runners in his attempt to win the Moyglare for a fifth time and Johnny Murtagh, who was stood down for two days at Tipperary on Thursday due to dehydration, is on Together.
However, bookmakers believe the principal home hope is Jessica Harrington’s €23,500 supplementary entry Laughing Lashes who reversed previous form with Together in the Debutante Stakes earlier in the month.
Laughing Lashes is owned by a syndicate that includes champion jump jockey Ruby Walsh and will attempt to secure a landmark Group One success for Harrington who said yesterday: “We know she gets the seven furlongs and gets it well. She is a fine big filly and you would like to think she could improve again.” The grey was a smooth Debutante winner but it was noticeable how Laughing Lashes flashed her tail under pressure when runner-up to Together before that.
In contrast Memory has been pretty much flawless up to now and if she really is superior to the colts in the Hannon yard, then the home team faces a big task.
However, the most accomplished filly running at the Curragh tomorrow will be the triple Group One winner Lush Lashes who is back in racing action for the first time in 14 months in the Group Three Dance Design Stakes after losing her Sea The Stars foal earlier in the year.
“The race will bring her on but she is fairly straight,” Jim Bolger said yesterday. “The Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp would be her target after the weekend, all going well.”
Bolger will also fancy his chances in the Group Three Round Tower Stakes with Glor Na Mara, runner-up in the Phoenix and the Futurity, who should have no trouble dropping back to six furlongs.
A total of 11 of the 16 Flying Five runners are British-trained and Tax Free could be the best of them for the sprint king, Dandy Nicholls.
Kieren Fallon and Luca Cumani could be an irresistible combination for the Irish Cambridgeshire with Start Right.
