Richard Hannon Jnr sends two live contenders across in search of the first Irish Classic of the season and there is so much to like about the red-hot favourite.
Rosallion, successful on three of his four starts as a juvenile and a Group One winner when taking the Grand Criterium at Longchamp last October, has clearly trained on with an impressive showing in the English Guineas.
The son of Blue Point found Notable Speech too good on that occasion at Newmarket but he travelled powerfully into the race, with some daylight back to his stablemate Haatem in third.
It’s hard to see that rival overturning the form, given that he already has an extra run under his belt this season having taken the Craven on his seasonal debut, and Rosallion is the one to beat.
Coming across the Irish Sea to prise this contest from the grasp of Aidan O’Brien is no easy task, however, with the Ballydoyle maestro bidding for his 13th victory in the colts’ Classic.
River Tiber is the stable No 1, with Ryan Moore opting for the Wootton Bassett colt on his seasonal bow, and O’Brien expects him to be a little more forward than his pair of stable companions.
Both Unquestionable (first) and Mountain Bear (second) have had setbacks since filling the first two berths in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in November and this seems to be more of a starting point rather than a destination.
Both could outrun their odds but River Tiber is their leading hope and while twice placed at Group One level as a two-year-old, he will have to step forward to take this €500,000 showpiece.
O’Brien reckons that improvement is there, having said that he was under-cooked for much of his juvenile career, but you know exactly what is under the bonnet with Rosallion.
Hannon, bidding to follow in the footsteps of his father (and namesake) with an Irish 2,000 Guineas success, could hardly have been more praiseworthy when describing how he “travelled like a genius” in a recent piece of work.
The scales are tipped in favour of Rosallion on what could be a special day for jockey Sean Levey, who spent eight years at Ballydoyle before moving to the UK. The Swaziland-born rider had his first ride at the Kildare track in 2005 and he could be centre stage 19 years later, having forged out a hugely successful career in the saddle, although this would likely prove the highlight of it all.
Elsewhere, the Group Two Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes (2.30) is as competitive as ever with a host of raiders hoping to plunder the €120,000, including last year’s hero Art Power. This may stay on home soil, though, with Kieran Cotter’s Matilda Picotte favoured by conditions under Declan McDonogh.
