IT’S A GREAT FIT FOR ADELAIDE

Proven stayer can give O’brien a 12 successive win in Beresford

BY

UNEXPOSED Adelaide River might extend Aidan O’brien’s remarkable record in the Group 2 Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.

Today’s card features the return of the Goffs Million, carrying a winner’s prize of a massive €611,000 and attracting 19 contenders – eight of them trained in Britain.

But the earlier Beresford might have a bigger bearing on big races in 2023. Although beaten at Group 3 level in France last time, Adelaide River, a proven stayer is expected to give O’brien a 12th successive win in the race and a 22nd in all having won it with Luxembourg last year.

With Ryan Moore on Group 1 duty in Newmarket, Wayne Lordan renews his association with this son of Australia, a smooth winner on his debut in Dundalk in mid-august beating Golden Temple.

Adelaide River stepped into Group 3 company at Longchamp on his second start and, sent off favourite, he raced prominently and looked the likely winner until being collared late by Jean-claud Rouget’s Kubrick.

Entitled to have improved again from that outing, Adelaide River will be joined in the line-up by stable-companion Continuous, winner of a seven-furlong newcomers event at this track last month.

Of the others, Jessica Harrington’s Pivotal Trigger merits respect, having beaten subsequent winner Tiverton and Serious Challenge at Galway last time.

And don’t underestimate the Michael O’callaghan-trained Crypto Force (right), conqueror of the useful Auguste Rodin on debut before finishing seventh in the Chesham at Royal Ascot – he hasn’t been seen since.

Aidan O’brien and Wayne Lordan have leading claims with Hiawatha in the Million too, the Camelot colt having opened his account, at the third attempt here, when winning a mile maiden in commanding style from Fleetfoot.

Dropping back in trip probably isn’t ideal for the Ballydoyle colt. But he might prove too strong for the Ger Lyons-trained Hellsing, successful on debut here before being second in the Group 3 Tyros and, last time, landing the Churchill Stakes at Tipperary.

Best of the British raiders might be Oviedo, a Doncaster maiden winner before finishing third to Chaldean in the Acomb in York.