ATOMIC CAN BE DE-ARMED

Stone Age to get revenge on Ger’s star Jones

BY

NARROWLY beaten by Atomic Jones in a Group 2 at this venue back in September, Stone Age might turn the tables on that rival in the Group 3 Derby Trial Stakes, formerly the Derrinstown, at Leopardstown tomorrow.

Following news that Luxembourg was lame yesterday and under a cloud ahead of the Cazoo Derby at Epsom, Aidan O’brien’s Chester winners, notably Vase victor Changooftheguard, have taken a forward step in the classic betting.

And Stone Age is expected to boost his classic credentials tomorrow in a fascinating renewal of Ireland’s most recognised Derby trial.

Narrowly beaten by last Monday’s Curragh winner and Irish Guineas fancy Buckaroo in Galway last September, Stone Age was collared late and beaten a head by Atomic Jones in the KPMG Champion Juvenile Stakes (Group 2) on Champions Weekend and ended his two-yearold campaign with a sixth in the Group 1 Prix Jean-luc Legardere at Longchamp.

Rated 109, Stone Age had a straightforward task on his seasonal debut in a ten-furlong maiden in Navan and duly delivered, making all to score by nine lengths from Active Duty, who has since let the form down.

As Chester has shown, Ballydoyle’s three-year-old colts are taking a significant step forward from their seasonal debuts. And, if Stone Age, who did particularly well physically over the winter, follows that trend, he might give O’brien (below) a 15th win in this race.

Unbeaten in two juvenile starts, including a defeat of Stone Age, the Ger Lyons-trained Atomic Jones is among the obvious dangers. But the lack of a recent run won’t help him.

Dermot Weld relies on Duke De Sessa, winner of the Group 3

Eyrefield at this track last October, and expected to improve from his comeback third to Piz Badile, who he beat last October, in the Ballysax over this course and distance last month.

And Paddy Twomey’s unexposed French Claim a wide-margin winner in Cork three weeks ago, shouldn’t be under-estimated in a fascinating race.

Although conceding 3lb. to her rivals, Joseph O’brien’s Agartha, winner of the Silver Flash (Group 3) and Debutante (Group 2) last year before finishing runner-up to Discoveries in the Group 1 Moyglare and going down by a length to Homeless Songs in a seven-furlong trial five weeks ago, sets the standard in the Group 3 Cornelscourt Stakes.

She holds the Glenburnie runner Panama Red, winner of the Ingabelle here last September, on last month’s form and might also have the measure of Ballydoyle hope History and the one-raced, Weld-trained Suwayra.

Joseph O’brien’s Patrick Sarsfield, fourth to progressive Layfayette on his seasonal bow in Naas, might have the edge over course specialist Real Appeal (conceding 5lb.) in the Group 3 Amethyst.