Kirk's Cape takes on Ballydoyle again

Sylvester Kirk hopes that Opera Cape’s fine effort at Longchamp two weeks ago has not taken the edge off him for the Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket tomorrow.

The two-year-old colt, owned by Jeff Smith, showed his class when running Horatio Nelson to a length and a half in the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc weekend.

Opera Cape, winner of the Solario Stakes at Sandown, could well face his old rival again although Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien will choose between Horatio Nelson and National Stakes winner George Washington as his representative.

“It will be interesting to see which one runs – they would be the biggest dangers although there’s obviously more good opposition in there than just those two,” said Kirk.

“I’m very pleased with our horse and it’s just great to be involved in a race like this.

“My big concern is how much his Longchamp effort took out of him.

“He seems very well and he’s bucking and kicking, but you don’t know if it’s going to be one race too much. We’ve taken everything into consideration

“They’ve had some rain. I don’t think he necessarily wants soft ground but I think it would help him more than some of the others. He wouldn’t want fast ground, good going would be fine.”