High-quality racing across Ireland, France and Germany awaits the racing fraternity on Monday, with The Curragh's G2 Coolmore Stud Sottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge S. seeing the return to the fray of Ballydoyle's key older campaigner Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}). Plagued by muscular issues last term, the 2021 G1 Futurity Trophy winner still managed to upstage Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Vadeni (Fr) (Churchill {Ire}) in Leopardstown's G1 Irish Champion S. on one of his better days in September and connections will be hoping that a clear run can see him shine even brighter in the weeks ahead.
Mare Trouble…
Interestingly, Luxembourg who comes with the customary “will-improve” tag, encounters the mare Insinuendo (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) who so nearly upset the odds when he was returning from his first injury-enforced rehab period in the G3 Royal Whip over this course and distance in August. These races don't always come easy and that is certainly the case this time, with another femme fatale lying in wait in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary and G2 Blandford S.-winning TDN Rising Star Above The Curve (American Pharoah), not to mention the G2 Prix de la Nonette winner Trevaunance (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}). Like Vadeni and Bay Bridge on Sunday, Luxembourg might have to wait a bit longer for that familiar taste of success…
Off To A Flier…
The Curragh's card gets swinging with the Listed GAIN First Flier S., the first of its kind for the domestic juvenile crop of 2023 which includes the Paddy Twomey-trained TDN Rising Star Noche Magica (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}). Having made such an instant impact at Cork earlier this month, Mohammed Ahmad Ali Al Subousi's slick traveller looks ready-made to be one of the top early 2-year-olds as Royal Ascot looms. Interestingly, Aidan O'Brien has a pair of newcomers engaged including His Majesty (Ire) by No Nay Never, sire of last year's winner Blackbeard (Ire). Does the title give a clue as to the regard in which the 325,000gns son of the group 3 scorer Czabo (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}) is held?
The Next Stop…
There is a chance that by the time the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains comes around, Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Paddington (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) will have a fitness and experience edge as well as possibly a class edge over several of his peers. Already the winner of the historic Madrid Handicap at Naas, he preps for the ParisLongchamp Classic in the Listed Coolmore Stud Blackbeard Irish EBF Tetrarch S. in which he is joined by the stable's Drumroll (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a full-brother to Saxon Warrior (Jpn) who opened his account first time at Navan in March. The Tetrarch used to be an important Guineas trial and it can still promote a future star of that ilk as the 2016 winner Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) testified.
Muguet Offerings…
  Saint-Cloud stages its traditional May 1 la Fête du Travail fixture, where another Classic trial on the wane is the Prix Greffulhe, newly downgraded from group 2 to group 3 status despite its honour roll which features Onesto (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). That future luminary was incredibly 12-1 last year, but there doesn't on the face of it appear to be one of his ilk lining up this time. This therefore is surely a must-win for Ballydoyle's Greenland (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who trailed the under-rated Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) when third in the G3 Prix la Force at ParisLongchamp last month. That aperitif is served before the feature G2 Prix du Muguet, where The Aga Khan's exciting G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein-winning TDN Rising Star Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) starts his big year in preparation for Royal Ascot's G1 Queen Anne S.
See The Classic Stars…
Not to be undone by its French and Irish counterparts, Munich hosts a tantalising renewal of its showcase 10-furlong G3 WETTSTAR.de – Bavarian Classic in which Wanja Soren Oberhof and Sebastian Weiss's TDN Rising Star Mr Hollywood (Ire) (Iquitos {Ger}). Winning his Mulheim maiden by 16 lengths last month, the Henk Grewe-trained bay takes on Liberty Racing 2021's G3 Preis des Winterfavoriten winner Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Stall Nizza's mightily-impressive G3 Herzog von Ratibor-Rennen scorer Alpenjager (Ger) (Nutan {Ire}) in a Deutsches Derby pointer to savour.
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