Aidan O’Brien has offered a note of caution about the possibility of a second clash between Gstaad and stablemate True Love in the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh.
First time around at Navan in May, Gstaad got going late to catch the filly True Love, who had already had the benefit of a previous run.
The pair then went to Royal Ascot where Gstaad won the Coventry Stakes and True Love broke her maiden in the Queen Mary.
Since then True Love has beaten the boys in the Railway Stakes by five lengths and actually brings a higher official rating than Gstaad, who has not run since Ascot.
The colt, who is the choice of Ryan Moore, has given O’Brien a slight cause for concern on Friday but the handler hopes it is nothing too serious.
“They’ve met before obviously and the filly has that little bit more experience than the colt,” said O’Brien.
“She’s had an extra run since Ascot, so it’s going to be interesting.
“The filly has a higher rating which is interesting but Gstaad was very good at Ascot.
“It has always been the plan for him to run at Ascot, have a little break and then go to the Curragh with him.
“Everything has been fine with both of them since, the filly hasn’t done much since she ran the other week.
“Gstaad has been working well but he was just a little bit quiet this morning. I don’t think it was anything serious – all his work has gone well but he was just a little quiet so hopefully he’ll be okay.”
O’Brien also runs Puerto Rico, second to True Love in the Railway and to Coppull in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.
O’Brien’s son Joseph fields the main danger in Green Sense, winner of the Prix Robert Papin last time out and a late absentee from the Ballyhane Stakes on Monday.
He said: “We’re happy with her off the back of a good run.
“It looks a strong renewal of the race, obviously, if dad’s two turn up.
“We’re hoping for a good run from her, and it would be great if she could get Group One-placed.”
Power Blue has not dodged anyone all season finishing fifth in the Coventry and third in the Railway, so Adrian Murray’s colt faces a tall order in his bid to give the yard a second win in the race in three years.
Murray said: “This looks a tough race for Power Blue, but he’s been running well in all the big races and he’s danced all the dances.
“He’s in great form so we’ll let him take his chance. We’ll see if Aidan runs both his big guns, you never know.
“We won this with Bucanero Fuerte two years ago and he would have the edge at the same stage. Power Blue is a very nice horse, but Bucanero just always had that touch of class, he’s a Group One winner.”
Power Blue is owned by Amo Racing as is the final runner in the field, David Loughnane’s Do Bronxs.
Course specialist Art Power returns to the Curragh
Course specialist Art Power returns to the Curragh on Saturday for the FBD Hotels And Resorts Phoenix Sprint Stakes when he can finally get his season under way.
The unusually dry spring and summer has prevented Tim Easterby’s grey from running so far this season as he is at his best when he can get his toe in.
That is usually the case at the Curragh, where the eight-year-old has won four times from six outings.
“He likes it good or softer and we’ve been struggling to find any,” said Easterby.
“He hasn’t had an issue. We were going to get him ready in the spring but it was so dry there was no point and then we’ve found him a couple of races and he wasn’t able to run.
“He got balloted out of a handicap at York and the ground was too fast at Ascot. He could have run at Chester last week but we decided not to run him there and wait for the Curragh.
“He’s done a lot of work, he’s in good form and I don’t look to see how old he is. I never look at their age, I just go by what they are showing me. If he was a Champion Hurdle horse you’d be delighted he was eight.
“It sounds like the ground is good and we’re very happy with him.
“I know it looks like he’s better there than anywhere but I just think that’s down to the fact it is always nice ground there.”
Another strong challenger from Britain is the James Fanshawe-trained Kind Of Blue, winner of the Champions Sprint last season but on a retrieval mission.
Richard Brown of owners Wathnan Racing said: “We’re on the comeback trail but his work has been very good and James is very happy with him.
“We’ve had a couple of blips but hopefully we can get back on track on Saturday.
“I think the Curragh will be ideal for him and the stiff finish there will be right up his alley.”
Karl Burke’s Spycatcher and David O’Meara’s Nighteyes also make the journey.
Heading the home team is Adrian Murray’s Bucanero Fuerte, winner of the Group One Phoenix Stakes on the card two years ago.
“We’ll be going quite confident, he’s in great form, he’s fresh and well and should run a big race,” said Murray.
“He’s got a great record first time out, he’s won every year actually, so it will be no bad thing he’s only had one run.
“He did have a bit of a setback just before Ascot, so he had a bit of time off after that but it might not be the worst thing in the world given his record fresh.
“He’s won a Group One at the Curragh, he loves it there and he goes on any ground, he’s won on all sorts, the ground won’t be an issue, it will be lovely.
“I don’t look at it and think ‘I wish they weren’t running’, I’m looking at it thinking we should go well and be one of the favourites.”
