Kayf Tara has been installed a warm favourite to give Godolphin a remarkable 15th Group One success of the season in Saturday's Jefferson Smurfit Irish St Leger.
A small field is likely for the final classic of the year with just 12 left in at yesterday's forfeit stage and the sole French entry Russian Hope has already been confirmed a non-runner.
However, last year's first two, Kayf Tara and Silver Patriarch, are set to clash again and the Godolphin colt has been made the 7 to 4 favourite by Cashmans.
It will be Kayf Tara's last race before going into quarantine as Sheikh Mohammed sets his eyes on picking up Australia's greatest race, the Melbourne Cup in early November.
"Kayf Tara is scheduled to go into quarantine on September 26th so we are hoping he can give us a winning performance before that. He is all set to run," said the Godolphin spokesman, Simon Crisford, yesterday.
"It's probably fair to say he is better this year than last, based on his last two races at Deauville and Goodwood, but he has a very good horse to beat in Enzeli who beat him in the Gold Cup at Ascot.
"Kayf Tara ran well at Ascot, but the fast ground horses got away from him in the straight there. I understand rain is forecast for the Curragh so we will have to deal with that on Saturday," Crisford added.
Three other English-based horses remain in the Leger field, and of the six home-trained entries, Campo Catino and Edabiya are already doubtful runners. Noel Meade, however, has not ruled out the Champion Stakes fourth Sunshine Street although the Group Three Blandford Stakes is a more likely option.
"He has come out of the Champion really well and, although it would be a big hike up in trip, he was only a few lengths off them in the English Leger last year. We won't make a decision for a while," Meade said yesterday.
Aidan O'Brien described the Ebor flop Genghis Khan as a possible runner in the Leger, but his eyes are more likely to be focused on Sunday's Aga Khan Studs National Stakes where the Ballydoyle trainer has nine of the 17 colts left in the Group One mile contest.
Michael Kinane will be on the unbeaten Bernstein, who is vying for favouritism in next year's 2,000 Guineas with stablemate Fasliyev.
"Bernstein is a definite runner and I'm sure we could have up to two other runners in the race," said O'Brien, who has won the National Stakes twice before with the classic winners Desert King and King Of Kings.
Giants Causeway and the Tyros winner Royal Kingdom are two of the higher profile O'Brien options, and an intriguing option for the powerful Ballydoyle juvenile team at the end of the season is the Breeders Cup in Miami.
"It is possible we will have a runner there. A lot of our horses are dirt bred, after all," O'Brien added.
Cashmans bet: 7/4 Kayf Tara, 100/30 Enzeli, 4 Arctic Owl & Silver Patriarch, 15/2 Yavanna's Pace, 16 Genghis Khan, 22 Maylane
Paul Carberry bounced back to winning ways in style at Tramore yesterday when the jockey made all the running on the Pat Hughes-trained Very Tempting to land the opening Bausch & Lomb Maiden Hurdle.
Carberry only resumed after nearly five months on the sidelines through injury with a single ride over hurdles at Roscommon on Monday on Very Tempting's unplaced stablemate Ithas tobedone.
But he showed he has lost none of his dash as the well-backed 6 to 4 chance skipped over the hurdles to record a decisive four-and-a-half-length victory over Nurse Victor, trained by his father, Tommy, and ridden by younger brother Philip.
