Tower Of London appears to be improving at a rate of knots and can win the Bahrain Trophy for Aidan O’Brien at Newmarket on Thursday afternoon.
Last of five behind dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin on his second and final outing at two, he made no impression behind Sprewell in the Derby Trial at Leopardstown, but it has been a different story since he has tackled longer trips.
He won the King George V Cup at Leopardstown over a mile-and-a-half and was even more impressive last time out in the Ulster Derby over a furlong more.
Should he continue his progression and win this Group Three, he is likely to be almost favourite for the St Leger.
Mostabshir can regain the winning thread in the Edmondson Hall Solicitors Sir Henry Cecil Stakes.
John and Thady Gosden’s colt has won two of his four races to date, showing very smart form on both occasions, and there have been legitimate excuses for his defeats.
Having made a winning debut late last year he reappeared in the Craven and was strongly fancied to book his place in the 2000 Guineas.
However, he was bogged down in the ground, at a time when horses from his yard were also just needing a run.
He then went to York, where he was Shadwell’s second string in a novice race given he was carrying a penalty, but he blew his rivals away, surprising his connections with the speed he showed.
The next logical step would have been a Listed race, but there was not a suitable one over a mile at Royal Ascot and he ended up in the St James’s Palace Stakes against the English and Irish Guineas winners.
He finished sixth, beaten less than eight lengths, and rain overnight would not have helped given how he bounced off fast ground at York. Back down in class, he should take some stopping.
Adayar appears to have been found the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes.
The Derby winner from two years ago, Charlie Appleby and his team have tried to get a Group One win over 10 furlongs into him to make him even more valuable as a stallion prospect.
He just does not quite have the pace over that trip against the very best, but over a mile and a half he is still one of the top dogs, because as well as the Derby he has won the King George and finished fourth in the Arc.
The Bahrain Turf Club July Stakes can go the way of Andrew Balding’s Purosangue.
He may have only had the one race to date but he could hardly have been any more impressive.
This represents a big step up in grade from a Haydock novice event to taking on some juveniles who ran at Royal Ascot, but he can prove up to the task.
IRISH NEWS YANKEE
NAP: Tower Of London (1.50: Newmarket)
DOUBLE: Mostabshir (4.45: Newmarket)
TREBLE: Adayar (3.35: Newmarket)
YANKEE: Purosangue (2.25: Newmarket)
