Skies aiming to take off in International Clear Skies gets her optimum conditions of fast ground and a trip of a mile and a quarter in the Group Three Finlay Volvo International Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday. Aidan O’Brien’s Sea The Stars mare has won four times over an extended 10 furlongs on the Polytrack at Dundalk and jockey Donnacha O’Brien has been on board for three of her five career victories. She was a somewhat unlucky loser in a Listed contest at Gowran Park in May when checked a furlong out before staying on to get within three-quarters of a length of the winner. She also suffered a troublesome passage when unplaced in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot, but can be seen in a better light in this field of six runners. Ryan Moore and O’Brien are gunning for a hat-trick in this race and team up with Clear Skies’ stablemate Yucatan who is a significant threat in first-time blinkers. The Group Three Grangecon Stakes ought to be a cracking contest as six unexposed fillies enter the fray. O’Brien fields three with So Perfect setting the standard after a close fourth in the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot. O’Brien has won five of the last eight runnings of the Barronstown Stud Irish EBF (C&G) Maiden so his three newcomers — Anthony Van Dyck, Mount Everest and Norway — merit close scrutiny. Moore gets the leg up on Mount Everest. Jim Bolger’s Wexford Opera bounced back to form at Naas on Wednesday and is likely to be popular under a 6lb penalty in the Westgrove Hotel Handicap. The 50,000 euro Lyndsey & Eleanor Comer Trust Handicap is ultra competitive but last year’s winner Tony The Gent could go well back over a mile. Course specialist Silverkode is worth monitoring in the market on this step up in trip. Agent Zigzag comfortably shed his maiden tag in Killarney and can go to war with a mark of 82 in the Troytown Grey Abbey Equine Hospital Handicap.
