With the shockwaves from the news that Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) would miss the Derby only just fizzled out, Ballydoyle's leading 3-year-old jumps back into the season just past its halfway mark on Saturday for the G3 Fitzdares Royal Whip S. at The Curragh. Sustaining an injury after his gallant third in the G1 2000 Guineas at Newmarket Apr. 30, last year's G1 Futurity Trophy and G2 Beresford S. winner is re-entering the fray at an ideal moment with the Derby and Oaks protagonists either sidelined or with question marks over their heads. “He has obviously been off a long time and you wouldn't expect him to be cherry-ripe, but we have obviously been happy with his recent progress as his fitness is built back up after his injury,” Ryan Moore said in his Betfair blog. One who will provide a fair guide as to where he is at present is last year's G2 Kilboy Estate S. winner Insinuendo (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), but she is coming off an even longer lay-off having last been seen finishing runner-up in the G3 Park Express S. here Mar. 26.
Hungerford Headlines Newbury Action
Saturday sees the seven-furlong specialists have their turn in the spotlight as Newbury stages a wide-open renewal of the G2 BetVictor Hungerford S. One of these wouldn't be right without Gary and Linnet Woodward's beloved Pogo (Ire) (Zebedee {GB}), who sets a marginal standard on his successes in the May 28 G3 John Of Gaunt S. at Haydock and June 25 G3 Criterion S. at Newmarket, as well as his latest third in the G2 Lennox S. at Goodwood. There are some potential improvers lurking, however, including Jon and Julia Aisbitt's May 14 Listed Carnarvon S. winner Tiber Flow (Ire) (Caravaggio) who was crying out for extra distance when eighth in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot June 17. Newbury also stages the G3 BetVictor Geoffrey Freer S. over an extended 13 furlongs and the Listed Denford S. which as the Washington Singer has acted on several occasions in the past as a marker of future Classic talent. Godolphin's Victory Dance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has already looked the part when second in Newmarket's G2 Superlative S. July 9 and remains in the picture for next month's G1 Vincent O'Brien National S.
All Set For Thilling Jacques Le Marois
Sunday's G1 Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques le Marois at Deauville is set to be a high-class affair, with some elite 3-year-olds headed by Godolphin's G1 2000 Guineas and G1 St James's Palace S. hero Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Cheveley Park Stud's G1 Coronation S. heroine Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Joseph O'Brien shortens up the four-times Group 1 winner State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), while Ralph Beckett pitches Marc Chan and Andrew Rosen's G1 Falmouth S. scorer Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) into a rematch with Inspiral. Along with Ballydoyle's July 17 G2 Minstrel S. scorer Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and the G1 Sussex S. fourth Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), she helps set up a potential strong pace scenario while the French rely mainly on The Aga Khan's unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) who was last seen winning Chantilly's G3 Prix Paul de Moussac June 19.
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Meditate – still unbeaten
Four races
Four wins
G2 Alpha Centauri Debutante Stakes
She shows a fine attitude to complete a four-timer for Aidan O'Brien & Ryan Moore @curraghrace @Ballydoyle pic.twitter.com/NLNRikzb4Q
