JOHN OXX has used the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes as a stepping-stone for some of his great champions, principally the peerless Sea The Stars, and he is pitching the exciting Akeed Mofeed into the Group Two melting pot this Sunday.
Akeed Mofeed is already as low as 16 to 1 for next year’s 2,000 Guineas, and 20 to 1 for the Derby, after a hugely impressive maiden victory at Leopardstown on his second start. His name featured among the 14 left in the Beresford after yesterday’s forfeit stage and Oxx confirmed the Curragh feature is the plan for his promising juvenile.
The trainer has won the Beresford three times with Alamshar in 2002, Azamour 12 months later and Sea The Stars in 2008. The mile event has a notable history of producing future champions and there will be lots of attention paid to the latest Currabeg starter.
“It’s always a good race and it is always a good test. We haven’t had many runners in it but we have run some good ones and we will find out on Sunday how this horse measures up,” Oxx said yesterday.
“We like him and we think he is a good horse. He certainly won like it at Leopardstown. But we are taking things one race at a time and it is a step up. So we will see how he deals with this test. I presume it will be a good race. It usually is. There will be plenty opposition, particularly from Ballydoyle. But we will see and our horse is in good form,” he added.
Akeed Mofeed has been installed as 6 to 4 favourite with Powers for Sunday’s race.
He is one of a couple of Oxx juveniles that have made a good impression already this season and his stable companion, Born To Sea, is already a 10 to 1 second favourite in some ante-post lists for next year’s Guineas after Sea The Stars’ half-brother made a winning debut in the Blenheim Stakes.
“The Killavullan Stakes is still the plan for him. He’s come out of his race very well, he hardly knew he had a race, but the thing about starting late is that you run out of options,” Oxx said. “It means seven weeks between races and I hope the ground doesn’t get too soft. But Leopardstown is a course that dries well so hopefully it will be fine.”
Aidan O’Brien is a 10-time Beresford winner and the champion trainer has nine of the 14 left in Sunday’s Curragh €95,000 feature including Athens who won at Listowel last week after chasing home Akeed Mofeed at Leopardstown. The Ballydoyle team could also include the National Stakes third David Livingston.
Ground conditions at the Curragh yesterday were officially “yielding” on the round course and “yielding to soft” on the straight.
Sunday’s main support event is the Group 3 CL Weld Park Stakes and Dermot Weld has a couple of hopefuls in Angel Bright and the course winner Madhmoonah in an attempt to win the race that commemorates his father.
A dozen fillies in total remain in the seven-furlong event with an Aidan O’Brien quartet including Wading while Jessica Harrington has both Remember Alexander and the Moyglare fifth Princess Sinead to choose from.
David Marnane’s Portland Handicap winner Nocturnal Affair will step up to Group Three company for his next start at Ascot on Saturday week. Nocturnal Affair was twice a Group 3 winner in his native South Africa before joining the Co Tipperary trainer.
“He came out of the race at Doncaster really well. He’s going to Ascot on Saturday week for a Group Three over six furlongs. He’s in good nick. It’s a step up from handicap into Group company but he’s going back to Dubai later on and I want to see him perform at that level,” Marnane said yesterday.
Geraghty can make the Earth move
BARRY GERAGHTY could enjoy a productive Downpatrick fixture this afternoon where Edward O'Grady supplies the jockey with a potential winner in Earth Tremor, writes Brian O'Connor.
O’Grady’s regular rider, Andrew McNamara, won’t be on any of the Co Tipperary trainer’s three runners today and McNamara has revealed a change in arrangements between the two men.
McNamara reported yesterday: “Myself and Mr O’Grady will not be exclusively committed to each other this season and I understand I’ll ride plenty for him over the winter. The arrangement gives me the opportunity to work more with other trainers instead.”
The move immediately allows McNamara team up with the topweight Claragh Native in the handicap hurdle and this one can repeat a course and distance victory last time.
Geraghty has good chances on Golan Guy, a winner on the flat last time, and Asymmetrical.
