Britain and Ireland's 2-year-old scene takes further shape on Thursday as Sandown and Leopardstown stage some pointers to the 2020 Classics. In the afternoon, the Listed British Stallion Studs EBF Star S. acts as a stepping stone for the 1000 Guineas aspirants and unsurprisingly there is a Charlie Appleby representative in the Newmarket maiden winner Light Blush (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). That win over this seven-furlong trip was only 12 days ago and like the July 15 Ayr novice scorer Walk In Marrakesh (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) she has to prove she can back up successfully. The latter hails from the Mark Johnston stable along with the July 5 Haydock novice scorer West End Girl (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}), while Kevin Ryan puts forward Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum's Rhea (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) who also won on debut at Haydock May 24.
Later in the evening, Leopardstown offers intriguing fayre beginning with the Frank Conroy Irish EBF Maiden in which Ballydoyle unleashed Camelot (GB) in 2011. Of the trio of entries from Rosegreen, Yankee Stadium (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is the selected one for Ryan Moore who then rides the June 28 G2 Airlie Stud S. runner-up Precious Moments (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G3 Jockey Club of Turkey Silver Flash S. which Aidan O'Brien has collected 10 times. Stonestreet Stables' 'TDN Rising Star' Windracer (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) is in opposition as she bids to confirm the June 27 Curragh debut form with Precious Moments' stablemate Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). “She seems to have come out of her first race well and we're looking forward to running her,” Windracer's trainer Jessica Harrington commented. “The way she won at the Curragh she looked above average, but until you let them take on these better fillies, you don't really know for sure.”
If O'Brien has a formidable record in the Silver Flash, his tally of a dozen successes in the G3 Japan Racing Association Tyros S. speaks for itself. Future Classic heroes from Ballydoyle who have taken this en route include King of Kings (Ire), Cape Blanco (Ire), Gleneagles (Ire), Churchill (Ire) and Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) with the last four by Galileo. Both representatives are by the sire of all sires this year, with Moore on the impressive June 27 Curragh maiden winner Armory (Ire). While the next two home there have subsequently been beaten in maidens, the style of his success was notable.
In a fascinating renewal in which none of the five can be ruled out, Ger Lyons saddles the June 13 course-and-distance scorer Justifier (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) while Mick Halford sends one of His Highness the Aga Khan's brigade into battle in Zarzyni (Ire) (Siyouni {Ire}). He took a Gowran Park maiden by 3 1/2 lengths June 16 and has Classic success in his blood being a descendant of the 1998 G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Zalaiyka (Fr) (Royal Academy). “He's in great form and we've been waiting for this race since his first run,” Halford said. “We hoped he'd run well in Gowran, but he surprised us a small bit that he was ready enough to win. That is always a good sign and he does seem to have come forward in his homework. It looks a smart race, even though it's a small field. We'll have a better idea of where we stand afterwards, that's for sure.”
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