Irish Weekend Preview: Set for a Battle at Leopardstown

Jim Bolger has live chances in both the Derrinstown and the 1000 Guineas Trial

With trials for the Derby and Irish 1000 Guineas on offer, Keith Melrose looks towards Leopardstown's Sunday card.

In the second week of May, we're officially into silly season where British Derby trials are concerned. Is the Dante strong this year? What do trends say about the Chester Vase? Has Luca sent one to Lingfield? And so on and so forth.

At least the picture is much clearer in Ireland. Some take the early stepping stone of the Ballysax, but the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial is the definitive warm-up for Epsom and/or the Curragh. Without wishing to delve into the murky waters of trends any more than is necessary, a look at the list of winners should tell you that the Derrinstown often has a bearing on the Derby. Although High Chaparral in 2002 was the last to win both races, the Derrinstown has provided a good number of favourites and placed horses at Epsom in the intervening years.

If the Derrinstown's significance to the Derby is a given, so is a small field, this year's quintet representing a fairly typical pool of contenders. On top of that, two of them stand out: First Cornerstone and Little White Cloud are admittedly open to improvement, but they're set a high standard by Battle of Marengo and Loch Garman.

Battle of Marengo is almost the ideal blueprint of the sort of horse Aidan O'Brien sends to Epsom. A progressive two-year-old who ended up winning the Beresford, he took the Ballysax in fine style on his reappearance and is already second-favourite for the Derby. It's not yet known who is O'Brien's main hope for a fourth Derby success, but given his previous (both Galileo and High Chaparral did the Ballysax-Derrinstown double before Epsom), it wouldn't be much of a surprise were Battle of Marengo top of the pecking order ahead of Ruler of The World or even Mars.

Loch Garman is far less typical in terms of a star middle-distance three-year-old in the making. By a champion two-year-old and related to plenty of speedy/precocious types, he ran only twice at two, winning both over a mile in heavy ground, the second being the Group 1 Criterium International at Saint-Cloud. He obviously arrives here with a bit more to prove than Battle of Marengo, but going solely on the impression of previous runs you wouldn't doubt that Loch Garman will stay 10 furlongs. 

It's sure to be an interesting clash between Battle of Marengo and Loch Garman, probably (and justifiably) one with the odds in favour of the former. Irrespective of form (on which count Battle of Marengo wins anyway), Loch Garman isn't even in the Derby, his targets mooted to be further down the line, so this reappearance might not see him at his very best, while O'Brien is likely to have his charge as near to fully fit as makes no difference.

There are a couple of supporting Group 3s on Leopardstown's Sunday card: the Amethyst Stakes and the 1000 Guineas Trial, both over a mile.
 
The Amethyst, like the Derrinstown, comprises five runners, two of which stand out. Duntle was fourth in the 1000 Guineas Trial last year and subsequently improved to win the Sandringham Handicap at Royal Ascot, the Desmond Stakes and pass the post first in the Matron Stakes, only to be demoted to second. If still on the up, Duntle may well prove too good for Sweet Lightning, but that one made an impressive winning reappearance in handicap company, so will at least have fitness on his side. 

The 1000 Guineas Trial is likely to be indicative, with a good number not yet near their full capacity; though, as things stand, it's once again a case of two standing out among the field. Rawaaq took a big step forward to win the seven-furlong equivalent of this race back in April and there is no indication that the extra furlong will pose her any problem. Trip is the issue for We'll Go Walking, who is by Derby winner Authorized out of a sister to Teofilo, who would almost certainly have stayed middle distances. Ability is not, evidenced by a fine second in a listed race over an extended nine furlongs at Gowran last time, and although We'll Go Walking could well end up the better of the pair, Rawaaq looks to have the advantage ahead of Sunday's clash.

It's French Guineas day at Longchamp on Sunday. Get a Timeform card covering all the big races for just 3.