Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
IRISH SCENE
THE brilliant Magical can add to her Group 1 haul in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh this afternoon.
Aidan O’Brien’s star fiveyear-old has by far the best form on offer in this race and it will be a surprise if she meets with defeat.
On her comeback at the Curragh last month she looked at least as good as ever in landing the Pretty Polly Stakes.
That form already looks solid with the runner-up Cayenne Pepper going on to take second in the Irish Oaks last weekend.
In addition Magical’s form from 2019 which features victories in the Irish and English Champion Stakes is by far the strongest on offer.
She is chosen ahead of the likeable Buckhurst who is a multiple Group 3 winner at this trip and looks like one that can hold her own at this level.
Elsewhere on the card You’resobeautiful can continue a great run for trainer Fozzy Stack by landing the three-year-old five furlongs handicap.
The Stack stable has already sent out nine winners this month and this filly looks sure to add to her solitary victory which came in a Navan maiden last month.
She has since run well to finish second at Listed level at Naas while last time out at Cork she didn’t run to her best when taking sixth behind Sonaiyla.
She is better than she got to show at Cork and it is worth taking the chance that she will be able to take full advantage of this drop in class.
In the opening two-yearold maiden the Ger Lyonstrained Coill Avon is put forward to strike having run to a solid level on his first two outings.
His debut at Naas when he was sixth to Lucky Vega was encouraging and he again showed up well to take second in a Navan maiden last time.
He can make his experience count against the Ballydoyle newcomer St Mark’s Basilica who is a halfbrother to Magna Grecia.
In the ten furlong handicap Rayounpour can strike for Michael Halford as he looks to build on a recent success at Cork.
That victory came over a mile and a half but this lightly raced gelding should cope with the drop in distance.
In the concluding handicap Nordic Passage can bounce back from his unplaced effort last week.
GER LYONS says his Irish Oaks heroine Even So could be aimed at the QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes at Ascot in October.
The daughter of Camelot will run before then and the Group 1 Prix Vermeille in France is a possible prep race.
ENGLISH sprinter A’ali is likely to be back at the Curragh following his win in last Sunday’s Sapphire Stakes. The multiple Group 2 winner is likely to tackle the Nunthorpe Stakes next before bidding to win the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh in September.
GER LYONS reports that his smart juvenile Frenetic could tackle her elders in next month’s Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
The Kodiac filly lost her unbeaten record at the Curragh last weekend after which the trainer announced that she would drop back to five furlongs at York.