Considering his last Curragh ride was Order Of St George's shock 1/7 Irish Leger defeat a fortnight ago, Ryan Moore could be forgiven for warily approaching tomorrow's HQ card.
The odds look to be in his favour though aboard Capri in the Group Two feature. The Juddmonte Beresford Stakes has been won in the past by legendary names such as Nijinsky and Sea The Stars but Johan Cruyff’s 1996 victory began a period of near-total dominance by Aidan O’Brien in the last two decades.
He is pursuing a 16th win in all with a team of four in a seven-runner race and Moore can look forward to a first spin on the apparent O’Brien No 1.
Seamus Heffernan has ridden Capri in all three of his starts to date and the upward career curve looked especially pronounced when impressing at Tipperary in early August. It was encouraging too that O'Brien immediately pointed to the well-established Beresford-Racing Post Trophy route. Heffernan is on another Galway winner in Exemplar, while Donnacha O'Brien's mount, Yucatan, is another interesting contender.
Dermot Weld’s Firey Speech brings good form, while the supplemented Escape Clause is very much an unknown quantity.
Capri is already a 20/1 second favourite for next year’s Derby behind his stable companion Churchill, and Moore’s presence on his back surely says a lot about his chances of giving O’Brien a sixth Beresford in a row.
‘Pick 6’ pool
Moore rides in the first four races and the Englishman could have a major say in many people’s calculations for a ‘Pick 6’ pool which is expected to break through the €1 million mark for the first time.
Predictions it would do that at Gowran last Sunday fell short but with no one managing to pick the first six winners then, a €863,638 rollover goes to the Curragh, which initially set the ball rolling with Order Of St George’s shock defeat.
Finn McCool was last to Churchill in the National at that ‘Champions Weekend’ meeting and will aim to make it third time lucky in the opening maiden, while Moore will also fancy his chances on The Happy Prince in the Renaissance Stakes. Fort Del Oro’s ground versatility could make her a danger.
Theoretically’s 1999 victory was the last time Weld won the race named after his parents, the CL & MF Weld Park Stakes, and Eziyra can bridge that gap now she’s dropped to seven furlongs and sports a first-time hood.
Weld’s good stayer Forgotten Rules returns to action in the Listed Loughbrown Stakes but Toe The Line could repeat her 2014 success on the back of her encouraging return at Listowel over an inadequate trip.
Almost 120 runners are declared for today's National Hunt card at Navan where jumps professionals will continue to absorb how celebrated trainer Colm Murphy is handing in his licence because he can't make the business pay.
“After a few difficult years, my accountancy background told me we just can’t make it pay anymore,” said Murphy, who won at Cheltenham in March with Empire Of Dirt.
The man who saddled Brave Inca to win the Champion Hurdle in 2006 and Big Zeb to land the 2010 Champion Chase could have his last runner at Gowran next weekend.
Monday’s Ballinrobe winner Bashful Beauty can successfully revert to hurdles in Navan’s first handicap and Red Giant should continue his progress up the ladder in the conditions event.
