Racing

Henry Longfellow steps up for Futurity challenge at the Curragh

Snellen puts her unbeaten record on the line by stepping up in grade for the Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes

Henry Longfellow ridden by Ryan Moore wins The Juddmonte Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden at the Curragh in July. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Henry Longfellow ridden by Ryan Moore wins The Juddmonte Irish EBF (C & G) Maiden at the Curragh in July. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Fri Aug 18 2023 - 17:38

Henry Longfellow will return to the Curragh attempting to follow in the footsteps of some of Ballydoyle’s best in the Coolmore Stud Wootton Bassett Irish EBF Futurity Stakes on Saturday.

Aidan O’Brien’s son of Dubawi is out of the stable’s 1000 Guineas and Oaks heroine Minding and created a big impression when making his debut at the Kildare track, looking the consummate professional when running on powerfully to beat Mythology.

That form was given a timely boost when Mythology finished second in a Deauville Group Three recently and confidence will be high that Henry Longfellow – who is as short as 8-1 for the 2000 Guineas and no bigger than 16-1 for the Derby – can add to O’Brien’s impressive record in the Group Two contest.

O’Brien has won eight of the last 10 runnings of the seven-furlong event and has won it 14 times in total with the likes of Hawk Wing, Gleneagles and Churchill just some of the leading names to taste Futurity glory and then progress to further big-race riches.

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“He’s good and everything seems well with him since the last day. We’re looking forward to seeing him out again,” said O’Brien. “His work has been loved, P-C [Boudot] is riding him all the time and he’s very happy with him.”

On the potential for rain he added: “He won’t mind that, Minding handled soft ground and I don’t think that will be a problem to him.”

O’Brien will also be represented by Portland who is another son of Dubawi and opened his account at the third attempt when scoring in heavy ground during the Galway Festival.

He will be the mount of Séamie Heffernan, while prior to his Galway success he finished three lengths behind Ger Lyons’s Spanish Flame at Tipperary and the Phoenix Of Spain colt now searches for a hat-trick in his first run in Group company.

Joseph O’Brien’s track and trip scorer Islandsinthestream and Adrian Murray’s Courageous Strike complete the line-up with Henry Longfellow having just four other rivals to try and provide a stern examination.

Meanwhile, Royal Ascot winner Snellen puts her unbeaten record on the line when she steps up in grade for the Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes on Saturday.

Gavin Cromwell’s daughter of Expert Eye made a winning bow at Limerick in June and was immediately sent to Royal Ascot where she quickly added to her tally in the Chesham Stakes.

Having given a glimpse of her potential in those two early outings, the classy youngster now moves in to Group Two company following a break, with a big autumn lying ahead of her.

“We gave her a short break after Ascot and she’s done well since and we’re looking forward to Saturday,” said Cromwell. “She’s going to have to come forward, but we’re hopeful she has done. Everything has been straightforward with her since Ascot.

“We gave her a break after Ascot to plan an autumn campaign and hopefully this is just the start of it.”

Pearls And Rubies was sent off the 7-4 favourite when beaten a head by Snellen in the Chesham and Aidan O’Brien’s daughter of No Nay Never is likely to be a warm order once again following a further silver medal in the Anglesey Stakes.

That most recent outing came over 6½ furlongs, but she returns to slightly further now on the advice of her big-race pilot Ryan Moore in a race the stable has a fine record in.

“She’s in good form and she won’t mind an ease in the ground either,” said the master of Ballydoyle.

“We were a little bit disappointed with her the last day but Ryan said to maybe go a bit further, he said she was coming home well but the line just came too quick for her.”

She is the sole Ballydoyle representative, while Willie McCreery’s Vespertilio and Donnacha O’Brien’s Mysteries finished second and third behind Ylang Ylang in the Silver Flash Stakes last month and will be hoping to take advantage of the 1000 Guineas favourite’s absence here.

Mysteries’ handler felt his filly paid the price for trying to take on Ylang Ylang at Leopardstown and different tactics will be employed on this occasion.

O’Brien said: “We will probably ride her a bit more patiently this time and we probably rode her to try to beat Ylang Ylang at Leopardstown and maybe paid for it.

“She’s in good form and we have always thought she is a nice filly, so hopefully she will run well.”