It’s less than a fortnight to the Epsom Derby and Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle team indicated they are hitting top gear at the right time courtesy of a short-price hat-trick at Naas on Sunday.
The champion trainer’s annual mantra about how his powerful string improve for racing was once again borne out in style as the Commonwealth Cup contender Sioux Nation stepped up for his seasonal debut with a stylish success in the Group Three Goffs Lacken Stakes.
Sergei Prokofiev was beaten on his racing debut at Dundalk but is now an 11-4 favourite for Royal Ascot’s Coventry Stakes after turning the Listed Rochestown Stakes into a procession.
Broadway was victorious on her third start of the season in a contest that ultimately saw the final two races abandoned after safety concerns were raised when a number of horses slipped on the final bend.
By then, Jessica Harrington had secured a Listed race double of her own including a one-two led by Servalan from her stable companion Chicas Amigas in the Fillies' Sprint. Both of those, and the Owenstown Stakes winner Brother Bear, are also pencilled in for dates at Royal Ascot.
But it is the progress for racing so widely shown by Ballydoyle runners in recent weeks, including Saturday’s Lockinge heroine Rhododendron, which is getting harder to ignore.
Considering Saxon Warrior was imperious in winning the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket on his first start of the season – and O’Brien’s prediction of significant improvement to come – it is understandable the colt is as low as 4-6 for derby glory.
Prior to that Ireland’s classic campaign gets under way this weekend at the Curragh and O’Brien is set to try and secure a 12th success in the Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas with a trio of runners in Gustav Klimt, US Navy Flag and Threeandfourpence.
Three-year-old Happily, third to Billesdon Brook at Newmarket, leads his potential 1,000 Guineas challenge. It will include Clemme’s seasonal reappearance too although O’Brien said at Naas on Sunday: “If she runs in the first five we’ll be over the moon. She’ll make a massive jump for it.”
Similar sentiments appear to apply to last year’s double-Group One Hydrangea who will join Cliffs of Moher in the Gold Cup.
The step up for race sharpness was stamped all over Sioux Nation’s defeat of his stable companion Fleet Review on Sunday. The 15-8 favourite travelled supremely through the race and was well in command at the line.
“We wanted to know whether we would go for the Kings Stand or the Commonwealth Cup. Ryan [Moore] said he has all the speed in the world and would have no problem going back to five, but maybe let him take on the three-year-olds this year,” O’Brien said.
Sioux Nation won the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot 2017 and Sergei Prokofiev is another son of Scat Daddy set to make his mark at next month’s extravaganza. O’Brien was upbeat about Sergei Prokofiev’s chances.
“He’s learning and when he gets more pace in front of him it will help. He’s very natural and gets very easy. It will either be the Coventry or the Norfolk and will depend on what we do with some of the other two-year-olds,” O’Brien said.
Harrington also has an enviable task in potentially splitting up Servalan and Chicas Amigas at Ascot although the former attracted immediate 16-1 quotes for the Albany.
