Leopardstown plays hosts to a trio of Group races on their card on Thursday:
- Silver Flash Stakes (Group 3)
- Tyros Stakes (Group 3)
- Minstrel Stakes (Group 2)
In the last 10 years, master trainer Aidan O’Brien has won an incredible 17 renewals of these races, including winning 8 of the last 10 renewals of the Tyros Stakes. He looks to have some big chances in all three races tomorrow, but there are plenty of other stars on show preparing to take him on.
GG’s Jake Russell previews all three races, giving his selection for all three in the process.
Odds correct at time of posting – 2pm 26th July
5.12pm – Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes (Group 3)
A race that really evolves around one horse, another very talented looking Aidan O’Brien horse called Ylang Ylang who is supremely bred, cost a pretty penny and looked very professional on her racecourse debut over 7 furlongs at The Curragh last month. The 1,500,000gns daughter of Frankel was well fancied on her debut, and she duly obliged the market support by winning in eye catching fashion, making all to respond very well to Ryan Moore’s urgings before powering away to win by just under 3 lengths, looking like a step up in trip in time would suit wonders, as she is bred for that to be the case. It will be fascinating to see her step up in class to this Group 3 level, but I am very confident she will be able to handle it, In a race that Aidan O’Brien has won 12 times in the past.
The only other runner to note in the race would be the Donnacha O’Brien trained Mysteries who has posted some decent RPR’s in her two runs, and tackles the 7 furlong trip for the very first time. She was 3rd on debut at The Curragh in May, only beaten a length, the winner of that race Matrika has since placed at Royal Ascot and has won a Group 2, so looks classy. Mysteries has won since that contest, lining up in a Maiden Fillies Stakes at Cork where she was sent off the odds on favourite, where she prominent throughout before going on to pull clear in the final 100 yards to win going away, suggesting this step up to 7 furlongs will be more than helpful to the daughter of No Nay Never. That form of her debut run looks good, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see her improving with the new trip, but she will need to be quite special to beat Ylang Ylang.
Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes (Group 3)
A race that the powerhouse Aidan O’Brien has farmed over the years, winning the contest on 15 different occasions, he recently went through a spell of winning it 8 times in a row between 2014 and 2021 with Gleneagles and Churchill two of the top horses to win it for him in the past. The yard run two in it this year, with them both differing in their profiles, Mountain Bear was 6th on his debut at The Curragh before going on to run their again and win a Maiden contest in comfortable fashion by a length. He then proceeded to run in the Group 2 July Stakes at Newmarket a few weeks back, not beaten far but did weaken in the closing stages to come 7th of just 9 runners. It looked to all be happening a bit to quickly for him in that race, so this step up to 7 furlongs will suit, and Ryan Moore has been booked to ride, but I just feel there is one of the more unexposed horses in here who could improve past him, given they would only have to run to a rating of 97 (Mountain Bears current rating).
The other Ballydoyle horse is Henry Adams, who posted a RPR of 100 after his debut win at Naas earlier on in the month, where he beat Shihoku by half a length, with that horse being well fancied on the day when sent off odds on favourite. Henry Adams was quite professional in that performance, but will come on a fair bit for that run given he was just doing enough in the closing stages. That was over 7 furlongs, so we know this sort of trip suits, and being out of No Nay Never he is bred to be a decent type. I really think Seamie Heffernan has a plum ride on this horse, and if he has improved from his debut performance, I can see him being in the frame here.
The other one to keep a close eye on is the Joseph O’Brien trained Islandsinthestream, who although looked quite babyish on his debut at The Curragh last month, did it well considering the greenness shown throughout the race. He hung left in the closing stages but did keep on well towards the finish, providing he has learnt from that experience, He can also take this step up in class in his stride and trouble the two Ballydoyle runners.
6.22pm – Romanised Minstrel Stakes (Group 2)
A bit more of a competitive field, with currently 11 runners heading to post, this does look quite a difficult race to decipher with most of these running in either Handicaps or lower Group/Listed contests last time out, so who can take this step up in Grade in their stride? Lets start with the current market leader Zarinsk who arrives into this race with Group 3 form, having won the Group 3 Brownstown Stakes at Fairyhouse last time, beating Cigamia by just under 3 lengths. That was a nice performance, where she bolted out the gates and made all, keeping on well in the closing stages, taking her rules record to 4 wins in just 8 career starts. She looks the class angle, being the highest rated in the race and having Group form to her name, so it might prove right to side with her in this.
Tarawa seems to be getting better with each run, and was well fancied to win a Listed contest at The Curragh on Irish Derby weekend when sent off a short favourite, but was no match for a rejuvenated Jessie Harrington horse who won by half a length. She could improve enough to land a contest of this nature, and did run a very decent 4th in the Irish 1000 Guineas and was only beaten by 3 lengths, so a copy run of that could prove good enough to land a contest of this nature, I expect her to be there or thereabouts come the end of the race.
Salt Lake City disappointed in that race with Tarawa last time, when beaten into 5th by just under 5 lengths, but has ran well at Listed level before when 2nd at Leopardstown and was thrown in the depend when running in the Group 1 Futurity at Doncaster last October, so connections think there is talent in there. He just needs to bounce back from a lacklustre run last time, which is something we know an Aidan O’Brien horse can do, especially with Ryan Moore booked to ride.
One at a slightly bigger price is Lord Massusus who ran in the same Listed contest as Tarawa and Salt Lake City last time where he came fourth, and could have been closer to the first two having not run so keenly throughout the contest. He was a nice winner of a Premier Handicap at Naas in May and could still be improving enough to run well in a contest of this nature.
Selections
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