Mark Johnston's G2 Coventry S. winner Buratino (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) is on target for Europe's first juvenile Group 1 event, the Keeneland Phoenix S. scheduled for the The Curragh August 9. The progressive 2-year-old is likely to face stern competition including from fellow Royal Ascot winning juvenile Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), trained by Aidan O'Brien to win the Listed Windsor Castle S. Johnston was the last British based trainer to win the race when successful back in 1997 with Princely Heir (Ire) (Fairy King) and commented, “Buratino is spot on, just ticking over. His next run will be in the Phoenix Stakes, all being well. Everything's gone absolutely according to plan.”
Aidan O'Brien has already won the race an amazing thirteen times and in addition to Washington DC, the Ballydoyle trainer could also be represented by Air Force Blue (War Front), who finished runner-up to Buratino at Royal Ascot, and Painted Cliffs (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), an impressive winner of the G2 Railway S. at The Curragh June 27. “At the moment they are the three being aimed at the race and we'll take another look closer to the time,” said O'Brien before adding. “The three of them have plenty of solid form there and seem to have come out of their last races well.” David Wachman is another trainer with a good record in the race, winning it twice and he could have an intriguing female contender this year in Most Beautiful (GB) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}).The filly carries the colors of former Irish international Rugby star Ronan O'Gara and she was a comfortable winner of the G3 Grangecon Stud S. on her last outing at The Curragh.
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