Colt to keep Aidan at Summit

MOUNT EVEREST might be capable of continuing Aidan O’brien’s dominance of the Beresford Stakes in Naas tomorrow.

The Master of Ballydoyle has won this prestigious Group 2, traditionally run at the Curragh, 17 times, most recently with Saxon Warrior last year. And, mounting a three-pronged challenge this time, he’s bidding for an eighth successive victory in the race.

Ryan Moore will be on board Mount Everest, a Galileo colt, which got off the mark at the third attempt at the Curragh last month, when making virtually all the running and staying on strongly to beat Yonkers, the pair finishing five lengths clear of the remainder.

A promising sixth to Klute in a hot Curragh maiden on his debut, Mount Everest failed to build on that effort when turned over at 4/9 in a Cork maiden in August, when green and outpaced early before finishing well.

That form was let down by the winner, Duckett’s Grove, on his English debut. But Mount Everest, which baffled his trainer in Cork, knew a lot more about his job when positively ridden at the Curragh last time. And, likely to improve again, he should be tough to beat in a below-par renewal.

Mount Everest will be joined by stable-companions and

progressive colts which got off the mark in maidens in Galway and Listowel respectively.

Sovereign bolted-up by 14 lengths in Galway, but will encounter very different ground conditions tomorrow.

The other potential threats are Michael O’callaghan’s

a course and distance winner last week, the Ger Lyons-trained

which deadheated with Howling Ridge on his debut at Leopardstown and Jim Bolger’s Curragh maiden winner

last seen when fifth to Anthony Van Dyck in the Futurity. Ballydoyle filly

third behind Skitter Scatter and Lady Kaya in the Moyglare last time, drops in class and sets the form standard in the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes.

Winner of her maiden in Galway, she also finished sixth to Skitter Scatter in the Debutante at the Curragh.

But I’ll oppose her with Jessica Harrington’s

conqueror of subsequent winner Pink Dogwood at the Curragh before running a cracker, from an impossible draw, in a listed event, won by Sparkle’n’joy at Leopardstown and is expected to turn the table on

which finished close second in that event.

The 2016 winner

fourth to Flag Of Honour in the Irish St Leger last time, having previously failed by a neck to the Ballydoyle colt in a trial at the Curragh, must be fancied to upstage the three-year-olds in the Group 3 Loughbrown Stakes over two miles.