Missunited the percentage bet in Saval Beg

No Rite Of Passage or Saddler’s Rock, both live Ascot Gold Cup candidates, makes this evening’s Listed Seamus and Rosemary McGrath Memorial Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown less interesting than it might have been.

The hopeful vote goes to Michael Winters’ Missunited, who appears to be rapidly on the upgrade. She produced her best performance to date at Navan last time, in another Listed event, finishing two lengths second behind Voleurs De Coeurs.

Dermot Weld trains Voleurs De Coeurs and, indeed, Rite Of Passage, and now relies on the lightly raced Pale Mimosa. This mare was progressive last season, taking a Listed race at York and ending with a fifth placing in a Group 2 at Longchamp in October. Missunited, however, has a big fitness edge and that could prove decisive.

Aidan O’Brien’s Count Of Limonade can land the King George V Cup. He is the highest rated in the contest, having finished a creditable third behind stable companion, Leading Light, and Little White Cloud in a Group 3 at the Curragh twelve days ago.

The nap vote falls on John’s Oxx’s once-raced Shouranour in the Compass Group Ireland Maiden. This son of Lawman ran well for a long way, before fading to finish fourth behind Pay Day Kitten at Naas in April. He has been given plenty of time to mature and will surely be more at home on this much quicker surface.