Killavullan Stakes preview

No Needs Never and Old Glory clash again in the Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.

The two met recently at Dundalk, with Joseph O’Brien’s No Needs Never coming out quite comfortably on top against his father Aidan’s Frankel colt, who had made such a promising debut at Naas last month.

A 1.6million euro purchase for American Pharoah’s owners in partnership with Coolmore, Old Glory was sent off the odds-on favourite against No Needs Never, who had only won one of his first four.

O’Brien senior has been pleased with Old Glory since, though.

“He seems to be in good form since Dundalk,” he said ahead of the Group Three contest.

“It was good experience there, he needed experience and he came out of it well.

“He needed another run and it was good to get that into him.”

Sheila Lavery ’s Breaking Story made an impressive winning debut at the Curragh, before being beaten in Listed company last time out.

“He just found the six furlongs at Fairyhouse a bit sharp last time,” said Lavery.

“I’d love to have been able to educate him further before stepping up to this level, but we’ve just had a lack of options for him and he’s going to take his chance as this will be his last run of the season.

“He’s in good shape, but ideally I’d have preferred if this race was a week or 10 days later.” Could Be King is back out again quickly for Patrick Prendergast, who has enjoyed a stellar season thanks to the exploits of Skitter Scatter.

A winner just last weekend at Limerick, he had previously run well behind the likes of Anthony Van Dyck and Ten Sovereigns.

“I do think that he has a future at this level and he did run well in the Futurity Stakes a couple of runs back and that form does look very solid,” said Prendergast.

Michael O’Callaghan is happy to let his filly Angelic Light make a swift return, too, after finishing fourth in the Legacy Stakes at Navan.

“She just had a little incident in the Moyglare and there was something just not right with her after the race so we put a line through that and got it ironed out at Navan,” said the trainer.

“Six furlongs in stakes company is probably a little too sharp for her. She did run quite well at Navan, but she does want to step up to seven furlongs and I think seven furlongs around the bend should see an improved performance out of her again.”