Stravinsky is now as high as 12 to 1 for the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas after being beaten by Tarfaa on the opening day of the Flat season at the Curragh yesterday.
The soft ground may not have been ideal for a colt with suspected stamina limitations but, nevertheless, Stravinsky was a bitter disappointment.
Backed down to Guineas favouritism in recent weeks, Stravinsky impressed with his physical condition and, despite racing keenly in the early stages of the Loughbrown Race, the slow pace looked ideal.
Over two furlongs out River Canyon kicked, a move that Stravinsky appeared to cover easily. However, last year's Punchestown winner Tarfaa raced from last to first to challenge on the outside and Stravinsky couldn't cope with him.
Worryingly it was only a length back to River Canyon in third and another three parts of a length to the fourth horse Castle Quest.
Aidan O'Brien's summary of Stravinsky's effort was succinct. "He just got tired, plain and simple." William Hill's reaction was just as quick, moving Stravinsky seven points out to 12 to 1. Coral make the Dewhurst winner Mujahid their new 7 to 2 favourite for the Guineas.
O'Brien added: "He was always going to be vulnerable on soft ground on his first run. Michael (Kinane) said he did everything right but just got tired in the last 50 yards. He went and beat the other horse but then had nothing left for the winner."
The Ballydoyle trainer has no firm plans for Stravinsky's next race and the same applies for the rest of his very strong Classic team.
"There's a team of horses for Newmarket and they all have to prove that they should go. Orpen has a Group One penalty which would be difficult for him on heavy ground. We know Lavery has to have good ground. Black Rock Desert has just won a maiden and handles an ease, so things are more open for him. The Gladness Stakes is there but, if it's bottomless going, it's hard for three-year-olds against older horses," O'Brien said.
Kevin Prendergast was delighted with Tarfaa, who could go straight for the Irish 2,000 Guineas. "He's not bad and likes ground like the road," he said.
O'Brien believes Saffron Waldon to be another of his Guineas possibles and wasn't dissuaded from that view when the colt won the mile maiden by a length from the 50 to 1 shot Carhue Gold.
"He has a lot of class and could be anything. He is a possible for the Guineas and he will improve a lot," said O'Brien who had earlier won the opening race with King Of Connaught, a two-year-old he described as a "quick learner".
Wray bounced back from injury to land the Irish Lincolnshire in impressive fashion for Liam Browne and Jamie Spencer.
Last year the seven-year-old was pulled up in this race behind Tarry Flynn and in his only subsequent run he injured himself in a hurdle race. It was a fine training effort from Browne to get him back to peak fitness and the trainer said: "I thought he'd run well but I was worried about the ground. If I could find a race at Chester for him I would be happy because he'd love it there."
Spencer went on to complete a double with the most popular winner of the day, Dorans Pride in the Kildare Race.
The 10-year-old bounced back from his Gold Cup disappointment to overhaul Sharpaten in the straight and confirm Michael Hourigan's view of the way Dorans Pride should be ridden.
"He was burned up in the Gold Cup. He was never ridden like that in a top race before. If he was ridden like the way he was today he'd have won the Gold Cup. Hopefully he will put the record straight in the Heineken at Punchestown and then he'll be trained for the Cesarewtich," Hourigan said.
