O’Brien’s ‘Thunder’ spearheads strong Irish squad in Dewhurst
IRISH raiders have plundered 10 of the last 14 runnings of tomorrow’s Dewhurst Stakes and Joseph O’Brien’s exciting juvenile Thunder Moon leads another formidable visiting team heading to Newmarket.
Thunder Moon (11/4) showed a blistering turn of foot inside the final furlong to land the Group One National Stakes and Declan McDonogh’s mount will be out to confirm superiority with the next two home that day at the Curragh, Wembley (10/1) and St Mark’s Basilica (14/1).
That pair are trained by Joseph’s father Aidan with the Ballydoyle maestro aiming to land the prestigious Group One for the seventh time, while Jim Bolger is another who has made hay in the €470,000 contest with a quintet of victories.
The Coolcullen supremo saddles outsider Poetic Flare (66/1) – the Dawn Approach colt has not been seen since making a winning debut at Naas in March over 5f – while Jessica Harrington also sends Group Two winner Cadillac (12/1) into battle.
A stellar field is headed by the unbeaten Chindit (9/4 favourite) with Richard Hannon’s Group Two winner bidding for a quartet of victories, while Willie Mullins is eyeing a third successive triumph in the valuable Cesarewitch Handicap with Great White Shark vying for favouritism.
Mullins suffered a blow to this season’s jumps squad with Galway Hurdle hero Aramon ruled out for the rest of the campaign through injury. The progressive seven-year-old defied top weight to land the Galway feature under the trainer’s son Patrick and had been touted as a Champion Hurdle contender but those plans have been shelved until next season.
The Closutton maestro also revealed his approval for the new Mares’ Chase, which will be added to the Cheltenham Festival programme from next March onwards.
Salsaretta, Kerry National winner Cabaret Queen and Mullins’ brilliant mare Benie Des Dieux – unbeaten in three starts over fences but best known in recent seasons as a Grade One hurdler – are all under consideration for the inaugural renewal.