AIDAN O’BRIEN sounded very sweet on Shogun after he landed his maiden at the Curragh last month and gave the impression that the colt ranks highly among his two-year-olds.
He steps up in grade in the Group Two Futurity Stakes tomorrow and can justify that faith. The master of Ballydoyle admitted that a debut defeat came as a bit of a shock and blinkers were put on to concentrate his mind last time. He travelled through the race like a good horse and picked up in style to dismiss his rivals.
There looks plenty more to come from Shogun and he can take another step up the ladder as he bids to emulate his sister, Oaks winner Qualify. He looks the stable’s number one choice over Air Vice Marshal, who was placed in Group Two company at Newmarket last month.
The War Front colt looks a nice sort in his own right but that form was let down by the winner since.
A bigger danger may be Dawn Approach’s full-brother Herald The Dawn. He stepped forward nicely from his debut effort when scorching clear of his rivals at Naas earlier in the month. Jim Bolger doesn’t expect to see the best of him until next season but he still looks a classy sort and should be up to running a big race at this level.
The only filly in the field, Now Or Never, was impressive in Galway but this looks a big ask taking on the colts now.
O’Brien also saddles a couple of class acts on the undercard with Found and Kingfisher looking to get back to winning ways. Found has established herself among the best of her generation and was narrowly denied in the Irish Guineas and Coronation Stakes on her last two outings.
She drops in grade now in the Royal Whip Stakes and should gain a confidenceboosting victory.
Kingfisher couldn’t have encountered many more traffic problems in the Gold Cup at Ascot and had to go down as an unlucky loser. He is the one they all have to beat now in the St Leger Trial.
His progressive stablemate Order Of St George could be the one to give him most to do while Sea Moon, who has spent the last couple of years in Australia, is an interesting opponent.
Have A Nice Day ran a cracker when dropped to six furlongs at Dundalk recently and has already won twice at the Curragh this season. He must have a big shout in the extended handicap over six.
Aye Aye Skipper won nicely at Killarney on Wednesday and can follow up under a penalty in the other six-furlong handicap.
