G3 Ballysax S. | Horse Racing Free Tips

Classic Dreams In The Balance On Sunday

Sunday sees a swing in the momentum towards the more meaningful Flat action of 2024, with Leopardstown–which has to survive an early-morning inspection–and ParisLongchamp staging a host of Classic trials. Ballydoyle's wheels are really set in motion at the former venue, with several of their promising 3-year-olds ready to be unleashed in the card's trio of preps including the 10-furlong G3 P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax S.

It is in that early Derby pointer that Rosegreen's G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud third Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and impressive course maiden-winning TDN Rising Star Ocean Of Dreams (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) look to add to the stable's Blue Riband team taking on Vimal Khosla's G2 Beresford S. winner Deepone (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}) from the Paddy Twomey stable.

“He has a five-pound penalty for his win in the Beresford S. last season, but we're looking forward to running him on Sunday,” Twomey said. “I think stepping up in trip will play to his strengths, I think a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half should be well within his compass.”

Leopardstown also stages the seven-furlong G3 Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” S., where Ballydoyle again have two fascinating maiden winners in Samuel Colt (Ire) (No Nay Never) and The Liffey (Ire) (No Nay Never). Both have to meet the standard set by the G3 Killavullan S. one-two Atlantic Coast (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and Bright Stripes (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}).

The fillies take part in the G3 Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” S., where Ballydoyle's course-and-distance maiden winner Buttons (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) is the pick of Ryan Moore tackling Deepone's unbeaten stablemate A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}).

It was in August at The Curragh when A Lilac Rolla managed to upstage the subsequent G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Opera Singer (Justify) and Twomey is hoping that she can restart where she left off. “She beat a very good filly in Opera Singer, she's wintered well and is ready to start,” he said. “The ground conditions may not be ideal, but she's in a good place and this is a good starting point for the season ahead.”

At ParisLongchamp, Guy Pariente,Thomas Lines and Qatar Racing's G1 Criterium International hero Sunway (Fr) (Galiway {GB}) returns in the nine-furlong G3 Prix la Force. Trainer David Menuisier said, “It is famous last words, but the ground shouldn't be an issue. It will be hard on the horses, but we feel ours goes on it quite good and the trip shouldn't be a problem, so we go there quite positive. Later down the line, we would like to aim at the Prix du Jockey Club, but we need to take races one by one, obviously. We could drop back in trip to run in one of the Guineas or we could go up in trip to run in a Derby trial next month. It will all depend on what happens this weekend and what Oisin and the owners think–and then we will take it from there.”

Also over that trio is the G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux for the fillies, where the Head Family's nine-length Saint-Cloud winner La Mandala (Fr) (City Light {Fr}) is tested against some proven peers, while the feature is the G2 Prix d'Harcourt where Ecurie Jean-Louis Bouchard's G1 Grand Prix de Paris hero Feed The Flame (GB) (Kingman {GB}) takes on Gousserie Racing's multiple group winner and G1 Champion S. third Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}).

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White Birch ‘In Super Form’ Ahead Of Derby Trial Bid

White Birch (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) has been confirmed for the G3 Derby Trial S. at Leopardstown on Sunday.

A winner last out of the G3 Ballysax S., the colt would follow in the wake of Battle Of Marengo (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}), and Bolshoi Ballet (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) as colts to have won both of the Irish Derby Trials in the past 10 years. If successful, the G1 Betfred Derby could be on the horizon at Epsom on June 3.

“He came out of the race at Leopardstown really well and we couldn't be happier with how things are going,” said George Murphy, assistant to his father John. “His work has been great and he is in super form.

“The plan is to go back to Leopardstown for what was the Derrinstown–it's just the Derby Trial now–and after that we can make a decision over whether we go to the Derby or not.

“I have no doubt the trial will be a difficult race, but he's in great form and we're looking forward to it.”

The grey is one of 14 colts entered in the race, which sports a six-pronged Aidan O'Brien entry.

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Piz Badile Headed to Epsom

He won the Oaks as a rider and now Donnacha O'Brien is concentrating on securing more big-race riches at Epsom by confirming Piz Badile (Ire) (Ulysses {Ire}) to be on course for the Cazoo Derby June 4.

Piz Badile announced himself as a genuine Derby contender when fighting tooth and nail to beat Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the G3 Ballysax S. at Leopardstown last month and, while O'Brien suggested a return to Leopardstown for the G3 Derrinstown Derby Trial could be a possibility at the time, the trainer is happy to head straight to Epsom with colt.

The form of that Ballysax victory was given a major boost on Monday when Buckaroo bagged the Listed Tetrarch S. and O'Brien, who describes Piz Badile as by far the classiest colt he has trained, believes the general 12-1 chance for Derby glory possesses a lot of the right attributes to be successful at Epsom.

“Piz Badile is in good form, everything is perfect with him, but we decided that we will go straight to the Derby with him,” O'Brien said. “We've had a smooth run with him, everything has gone perfectly well with him since he won the Ballysax, but we think it's the right thing to go straight to Epsom with him rather than taking in another trial. So that's the plan.”

He added: “It was great to see his form boosted by Buckaroo at the Curragh. They pulled clear of their rivals in the Ballysax, so it looked like they were two smart horses at the time. But for Buckaroo to confirm that at the Curragh on Monday would obviously boost your confidence levels.

“I don't think you can ever be confident heading into a race like the Derby, but I am confident that we have a very good colt on our hands and Epsom will be a completely different test to what any of the horses in the line-up has ever faced before.

“You can't be sure about how well a horse will handle a track like Epsom, not to mention the festivities surrounding the occasion, until they go and do it. But we are very confident that he's a high class colt with a good mind. He has a lot of the attributes required for the race.”

Piz Badile burst onto the scene last summer for O'Brien by taking the same Killarney maiden the trainer won as a rider aboard Ballydoyle's subsequent Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in 2018. Of course, Anthony Van Dyck is not the only Derby winner to have won his maiden at the County Kerry track, as Wings Of Eagles (Fr) (Pour Moi {Ire}) also broke his duck at Killarney.

O'Brien, who won the Oaks in 2018 aboard his father Aidan's Forever Together, is hoping that quirky stat can repeat itself next month.

“You need a horse with a good mind, because they need to be able to handle the whole situation, and you need a well balanced horse as well,” he explained. “If they're not balanced, they won't be going forward around Tattenham Corner, and if you're not going forward there, you may as well give up.

“Obviously they need speed, because if you don't have the pace to hold your position, you're bunched, you're completely out of the race before it's even started. On top of all that, you stamina, because it's a long home straight with a stiff finish. You need everything to win a Derby and Piz Badile has shown us at home that he has all of those things.”

He added: “Piz Badile definitely ranks up with the best that I've trained. It's hard to compare fillies and colts. Fancy Blue (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) obviously went and won two Group 1s, so he has to prove himself at that level but, at the same time, in terms of the colts, he's by far the classiest one I have ever had.

“I don't have any concerns about the Derby trip, if anything, the extra couple of furlongs will bring out the best in him. The one thing he has done on all three of his starts is hit the line really strong so he has plenty of stamina.”

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