There may be two ultra-competitive Group 3 races at the Curragh today, but racing's fixation with the possible rather than the proven will ensure that most interest will surround King Of King's attempt to put a patch on his somewhat deflated reputation in the Flame Of Tara Tyros Stakes.
In hindsight, King Of King's short head defeat by Lady Alexander in the Anglesey Stakes here last month wasn't quite the cataclysmic shock it seemed at the time. After all, Lady Alexander has since won the Molecamb Stakes and Princely Hush, third in the Anglesey, has rocketed to the top by winning the Heinz 57 last Sunday.
However, despite the evidence that King Of Kings was off colour after that race and Christy Roche's tender handling in the closing stages of it, there is still a sense of disappointment about him being beaten. The truly great ones rarely need excuses and never so early in their careers.
The unfortunate beast cannot know the level of expectation that will surround him today, but if he doesn't win this, then that hyped reputation won't just have been deflated, it will have developed a roaring puncture.
That shouldn't happen. It's encouraging to see King Of Kings out sooner than expected and while Mark Johnston has some good juveniles including Sharp Play, a three and a half length winner over Mowbray at York on July 11th, he should not be up to beating King Of Kings on this occasion, while the rest of the four runners simply don't look up to it.
Normally Oscar Schindler would be the highlight of most Irish fixtures and the Arc third returns from a virus induced layoff to contest the Royal Whip Stakes.
Even over today's 10-furlong trip, an Oscar Schindler at his best would be hard to oppose, but this is short of his best and his last effort in the Coronation Cup was far from encouraging. However, the opposition is far from awesome. Rayouni has proved nothing, but could be anything. Strawberry Roan has proved a disappointment and the form of Ashley Park's Derrinstown Trial win doesn't look so hot anymore.
In the circumstances, it may be worth taking a chance on Roger Charlton's belief that King Alex is better than he has shown so far. A distant seventh to Predappio and last year's Royal Whip winner Pilsudski in Ascot's Hardwicke Stakes, King Alex should be much better suited by today's good ground and is marginally preferred.
It's difficult to be emphatic in the Ridgewood Pearl Desmond Stakes too. Four of the eight are English-trained and it's not difficult to imagine Gothenberg and Cool Edge trying to dominate the race from the front. Nobility and the Prix d'Astarte third Supercal will be fancied to overhaul them but, if Verglas is in the same form that saw him finish runner-up to Desert King in the 2,000 Guineas here, he would be the logical choice.
