Zoom in on Zafeen
The selection ran the race of his life in the English equivalent at Newmarket, finishing three parts of a length second behind Epsom Derby market leader, Refuse To Bend.
There were numerous hard-luck stories, in what was a very rough race, and Zafeen was one of those who had far from a clear run.
Steve Drowne had to wait for an opening in the closing stages, but once in the clear Zafeen fairly flew home.
He was a head, half a length and two places in front of last year’s Dewhurst Stakes winner, Tout Seul. This fellow was making his seasonal debut and is entitled to come on plenty for the outing, but Zafeen is still preferred.
Aidan O’Brien runs no less than five and any one of them, including well-regarded newcomer, Solskjaer, winning wouldn’t be a surprise.
Tomahawk, however, is clearly the pick with Michael Kinane aboard. He finished eighth at Newmarket, after being in the wars as well, and being by Sadler’s Wells will handle the surface. I harbour doubts, though, about his ability to see out this stiff mile!
You can make a case of sorts for plenty of others and this really is a contest for minimum wagers. There is no evidence to tell us Zafeen will go on the ground, but he’s a big, strong horse and is the choice.
Dermot Weld’s Steel Light gets the nap to beat some high class rivals in the Isobelle Morris Memorial Marble Hill Stakes.
The son of Stravinsky showed a lot of speed when scoring over this course and distance, and on soft ground, beating Wathab by three and a half lengths last month.
Aidan O’Brien’s Ingres, not knocked about when seventh of 20 behind Silk Screen at Leopardstown in October, might be the business in the Newbridge Travel and Tours Maiden.
At the Curragh tomorrow, Pascal Bary’s Six Perfections cannot realistically be opposed in the Entenmann’s Irish 1000 Guineas.
She was a desperately unlucky loser of the English 1000 Guineas at Newmarket, having a nightmare run throughout, under Thierry Thulliez.
She started off on the rails, ended up on the wide outside, and the fact she was able to get within a length and a half of the winner, Russian Rhythm, was testament to the tremendous class of the filly.
We know she handles the ground and the trip should be no problem either, considering she got a mile as a two-year-old.
One Cool Cat can take the Sara Lee Maiden for Ballydoyle. The son of Storm Cat certainly gave the impression there was a lot more to come when fourth behind Steel Light at headquarters on his debut.
Tommy Stack’s Good Day Too is nap material in the Listed Airlie Stud Silver Stakes. He made a promising start at the Curragh when beating subsequent winners, Maharib and Septimus Severus, in a maiden.
He then stepped up in class to finish half a length runner-up behind Refuse To Bend at Leopardstown. That was a fine performance, even in receipt of 7lbs from the subsequent English 2000 Guineas winner.
