Irish tips: Step up in trip can do trick for Age Of Kings

Aidan O’Brien has won the last eight renewals of the Group 3 Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes thanks to the likes of Gleneagles, Churchill, and Anthony Van Dyck

Thu, 21 Jul, 2022 - 07:30

John Ryan

Age Of Kings might be capable of continuing Aidan O’Brien’s domination of the Group 3 Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes at Leopardstown.

O’Brien has won the last eight renewals of this event thanks to the likes of Gleneagles, Churchill, and Anthony Van Dyck.

And 99-rated Age Of Kings, although beaten in Group 2 company on his last two starts, should prove tough to beat as he steps up to seven furlongs for the first time.

Pipped by subsequent Group 2 scorer Shartash on his debut in Naas, Age Of Kings then impressed with a wide-margin win at the Curragh, earning a tilt at the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot, for which he started 3-1.

Unable to pose a threat, he stayed on to finish seventh behind Bradsell, which must be considered a disappointing effort.

Last time out, he filled fourth spot behind Shartash in the Railway Stakes at the Curragh, form boosted when runner-up Blackbeard won the Group 2 Prix Robert Papin last week.

In the hope that Age Of Kings is suited by this longer trip, the Kingman colt is preferred to John O’Donoghue’s Fairyhouse scorer Pearling Path, who came close to springing an 80-1 shock in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot, looking a winner from the two-furlong pole until collared late by Holloway Boy.

Aidan O’Brien also has obvious claims in the earlier Silver Flash Stakes, for two-year-old fillies, running Curragh maiden winner Never Ending Story.

A daughter of Dubawi, this filly appeared to tire late when a close third to one of today’s rivals, the Ger Lyons-trained Zarinsk, on her debut at headquarters.

She took a significant step forward when, stepping up to today’s seven-furlong trip, she scored convincingly on her second start, beating Sandy Creek.

Open to further improvement, Never Ending Story is expected to turn the tables on Zarinsk and might prove too strong for Joseph O’Brien’s Gowran Park maiden winner Zoinnocent.

In the other juvenile action, the Ger Lyons-trained Semantics, outpointed by last week’s Curragh nursery winner All Things Nice on her debut at Bellewstown, sets a decent standard in the opening fillies' maiden.

After Wednesday’s all-chase card, attention switches to hurdle action in Limerick. And Jack Kennedy should continue on his winning ways on board Gordon Elliott’s The Bosses Oscar in the Genson Products Hurdle.

This seven-year-old has scored twice over hurdles and finished second in the 2021 Pertemps Final at Cheltenham before failing to take to chasing.

Back over hurdles in recent months, he was pulled up in the Coral Cup but, more recently, finished fourth behind Shewearsitwell in a conditions event in Killarney and runner-up to Chinx Of Light in Wexford.

This looks an ideal opportunity for The Bosses Oscar to regain the winning habit.

The Elliott-trained The Abbey, with Harry Swan on board, has solid claims in the John Thomas McNamara Handicap Hurdle on the evidence of his close third behind subsequent winners Lieutenant Highway and Minella Youngy in Downpatrick last time out.

LEOPARDSTOWN

Selections

5.30 Semantics

6.00 Never Ending Story (Nap)

6.30 Age Of Kings (NB)

7.00 Tower Of London

7.30 Aristovic

8.00 Waterville

8.30 Mr Coldstone

Next best

5.30 Lan Mara

6.00 Zarinsk