Side with Steinbeck
The son of Footstepsinthesand began the season with a high reputation and there had to be hopes at Ballydoyle that he might measure up to Group 1 company.
When Steinbeck started the campaign with a promising fourth to Canford Cliffs in the Irish 2000 Guineas at the Curragh there was good reason to believe such might very well be the case.
But he hasn’t measured up to expectations and a sixth behind Canford Cliffs in the St James’ Palace at Royal Ascot and second to Famous Name at Leopardstown put such thinking to bed.
Aidan O’Brien then made the bold move of sending Steinbeck to Saratoga last time to contest a Grade 1.
But he looked all at sea on the dirt and could only manage a poor sixth of eight runners. Back on turf now, and substantially dropped in class, the three-year-old has to get the vote.
Nine of the ten runners have a rating and the selection has between 9lbs and 18lbs in hand of all of them.
Ger Lyons’ unbeaten in two races, Wade Giles, is the exception and is the most interesting challenger.
Steinbeck has a mark of 114 and the fact Wade Giles slammed the 113-rated Fencing Master to the tune of three lengths at Naas gives him a life.
The nap vote falls on Dermot Weld’s Endearing in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Maiden.
She was outspeeded by Dance On By at Galway and had one of her main rivals now, Galkina, three parts of a length behind in third.
Saajidah, runner-up behind Aidan O’Brien’s Amber Grey at Leopardstown, is the other to consider, although how much of a fight she will put up if called on remains to be seen!
Andrew Oliver’s improving In Good Voice, second to Hasty Katie at Galway, gets the nod in the Nursery.
