O’Brien has farmed the prestigious Group One with nine successes already under his belt through the likes of Rock Of Gibraltar (2002) and Paddington (2023) but Henry Longfellow must bounce back to his best for the Ballydoyle maestro.
The Dubawi colt, unbeaten in three starts as a juvenile, threw in an off-colour showing when well-beaten as favourite in last month’s French Guineas at Longchamp but O’Brien is a past master at quickly turning things around.
City Of Troy famously bombed out in this year’s English 2,000 Guineas before landing the Epsom Derby in great style on his next start so it would be foolish to rule out Ryan Moore’s mount, although the competition is stiff.
English 2,000 Guineas first (Notable Speech) and second (Rosallion) renew rivalries once again for this €800,000 prize with the latter subsequently landing the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
Notable Speech is still the one to beat among this star-studded crew of three-year-olds, though, and Charlie Appleby’s charge can extend his unbeaten run to five races under William Buick.
“We’ve been delighted with him since his win in the Irish Guineas and physically he looks like he has come on again,” said Rosallion’s trainer Richard Hannon ahead of a race billed as one of the best of the meeting. “I really couldn’t be happier with him, and like everyone I’m really looking forward to the race – it looks a fantastic race.
“I would rather be drawn one than the outside and I think that will be fine, there are no excuses from there.
“This is probably the biggest test of his life and he will have to be at his very best to win it. Whatever wins this will be an extremely good horse and I think there are probably four of five extremely good horses in there.”
A similarly lucrative pot is up for grabs in the earlier Group One King Charles III Stakes (3.45) where Westmeath trainer Adrian Murray returns to the scene of his most famous triumph.
Murray has enjoyed an extraordinary time in the past year or so and he will be hoping that lightning can strike twice at the Royal meeting with last year’s Norfolk Stakes winner Valiant Force.
His two starts this season in the US make his form as a three-year-old hard to gauge but David Egan’s mount would be right in the mix if bouncing back to anything like his second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.
It could be an O’Brien family battle in the Group Two Coventry Stakes (3.05) with Aidan saddling Group Three second Camille Pissarro (Moore) while his son Joseph is represented by impressive Curragh maiden winner Cowardofthecounty (Dylan Browne McMonagle).
The top three in the betting for the Ascot Stakes Handicap (5.05) are all trained in Ireland – Zanndabad (Cathy O’Leary, formerly trained by Tony Martin), My Lyka (Willie Mullins) and Pied Piper (Gordon Elliott) – while Mullins bids for back-to-back successes in the closing Copper Horse Handicap (6.15), this time via market leader Belloccio.
