Quite what floats the boat of the Irish race-going public is something which has kept marketing and research people gainfully employed for years and tomorrow's Curragh fixture seems certain to muddy the waters further.
Not only is there an intensely competitive Entenmann's Irish 1,000 Guineas on offer but also the not-inconsequential presence of the best racehorse in the world.
Any card that can have the mighty Montjeu running in a supporting race (the Tattersalls Gold Cup) has to have a lot going for it, but the Curragh authorities were yesterday hoping that a crowd of 12,000 might show up for the Sunday fixture. When you consider that 33,000 showed up in the enclosures alone for the Galway Hurdle last July, where the calibre of the racehorses paled in comparison, then it's clear that quality - except maybe for the beer - doesn't draw them in.
Which is a pity, because this is flat racing at its best. Montjeu alone is proof of that. Only the retired Daylami was rated alongside the Arc and dual-Derby winner by the international handicappers last year. Sheikh Mohammed has forked out £12,500 to supplement the St Leger winner Mutafaweq while the top Australian jockey Damien Oliver rides the sole home-trained runner, Urban Ocean, but Montjeu's recent homework has given no hint of a diminution of his talents. All things being equal, even allowing for the 10-furlong trip, that means the others are fighting for place money.
Lahan's late defection from the fillies' classic due to the ground has if anything made the race even more competitive, but the Newmarket runner-up Princess Ellen is still just second favourite, with the unbeaten Michael Grassick-trained Preseli now a 3 to 1 favourite.
Ranged against her are five runners from the Aidan O'Brien yard and the best of those could be Kieren Fallon's ride Chiang-Mai who is also unbeaten and who will relish testing conditions. Slight preference, however, is for another that will fancy testing conditions, Theoretically.
Dermot Weld's filly has over two lengths and 2lb to make up with Preseli on Leopardstown running but Weld's fillies have generally needed a run this term and confidence is growing in her chance. Theoretically was cut to 10 to 1 during the week.
The bet of the day, however, must be Island Sound, now that he reverts back to the type of soft ground that saw him run Pawn Broker to three parts of a length at Newmarket. Jammaal looks the danger in the Silver Stakes.
