Next year's Guineas and Derby favourite Point Lonsdale is on course to put his unbeaten record on the line at the Curragh on Saturday evening.
Winner of his three starts to date, including the Chesham at Royal Ascot and the Tyros Stakes on his last appearance, Point Lonsdale is already a general 10-1 market leader for the 2022 colts classics.
The son of Australia is one of nine entries left in the Group Two Galileo Futurity after Tuesday's acceptance stage.
Point Lonsdale is part of a four-strong entry from Ballydoyle while Joseph O’Brien has also four options to choose from.
It leaves Jim Bolger’s Leopardstown winner Manu Et Corde as the sole non-O’Brien-trained horse left in the prestigious contest.
Mac Swiney won the Futurity for Bolger a year ago while the only other non-Ballydoyle winner in the last eight years was Bolger’s Herald The Dawn in 2015.
Saturday’s other Group Two, the Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes, has 11 fillies left in it including both Velocidad and Prettiest who also remain in the following day’s €350,000 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville.
Other current potential Irish hopes for that Group One are Gavin Cromwell’s Queen Mary heroine Quick Suzy and Fozzy Stack’s Castle Star.
Top-flight option
Deauville’s other Group One contest on Sunday, the Prix Jean Romanet, will be without Love and Wonderful Tonight who will line up at York this week. However, it could be a top-flight option for a number of other Irish fillies.
Joseph O’Brien’s Pretty Polly winner Thundering Nights is still in the 10-furlong contest along with Insinuendo from Willie McCreery’s yard and Paddy Twomey’s Noblesse Stakes winner Moll. Jessica Harrington also has Cayenne Pepper among the 19 entries currently still left in the race.
In other news, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has altered its race-day protocols to make health screening easier for those working at racecourses.
Stable staff, trainers, jockeys and others previously had to register 24 hours in advance their intention to go racing and fill out a questionnaire regarding their health and travel history.
However, from Thursday such health screening can be completed by all industry attendees on the day of the meeting itself.
“Attendees can no longer apply the day before the race meeting. Health screening will open on the day of the race meeting and remain open all day,” an IHRB statement outlined.
“Barcodes for the race meeting will be received within approx 15 minutes of application. New attendees (first-time registrations) can also apply on the day of the race meeting,” it added.
