Rakan© Photo Healy Racing
Just three horses are set to go to post for the King George V Cup at Leopardstown this evening.
Aidan O’Brien has saddled two of the last three winners of this Listed contest in The Major General (2016) and Giuseppe Garibaldi (2018), and this year relies on the progressive Barbados
The Galileo colt justified odds-on favouritism in some style when opening his account in a Navan maiden almost three weeks ago, earning himself this step up in grade and distance.
The Ballydoyle maestro’s son Joseph O’Brien saddles Eminent Authority — a winner on his only previous start at Killarney.
The one to beat, however, is Dermot Weld’s Rakan The son of Sea The Stars looked a smart prospect when winning here last October and his fourth-placed finish behind Broome in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial on his return to action reads very well indeed.
Broome was beaten just half a length in a thrilling climax to the Investec Derby at Epsom on Saturday and given Rakan has plenty of scope to improve on his current rating of 102, he is difficult to oppose.
Jim Bolger’s Feminista has her sights lowered in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
The daughter of Dawn Approach looked a winner waiting to happen after placed efforts at Naas and Navan in the spring, but she had her limitations exposed — at least at this early stage of her career — when stepped up to Group Three level on her latest outing.
Back in maiden company, she sets the standard, with three Ballydoyle newcomers in Blissful (Seamie Heffernan), Love (Donnacha O’Brien) and Petite Mustique (Wayne Lordan) among her rivals.
Following successive wins at Gowran Park, Basic Law goes in search of a hat-trick for Ger Lyons and Colin Keane in the Leopardstown Golf Centre Rated Race.
O’Brien’s All The King’s Men is dropped in class in the seven-furlong contest after five runs at Stakes level.
