25th September 2016

Hugo Palmer

14:10 Epsom - Kodiac Khan 11/4

He seemed to improve for the step up in trip, and maybe our dispensing with the blinkers he wore when disappointing at Nottingham previously, when running out quite an impressive winner over course and distance last time. We know that he handles the track and a 6lb rise doesn't look to be excessive, so hopefully he can be competitive once again.

★★★★☆

Ryan Moore

13:50 Curragh - Finn McCool 5/2

Has only shown a modest level of form to date but he was clearly flying very high when last in the Group 1 National Stakes last time. This is obviously a far easier assignment and the other raced horses haven't shown too much either, so hopefully this brother to Gold Cup runner-up Kingfisher can win his maiden here. But there are five newcomers, including Aidan's The Eagle, so they are unknowns.
★★★★☆
14:20 Curragh - Nutcracker Suite 3/1

Eziyra and Grecian Light have been Group-placed, so they clearly set a high form standard, and my filly was well-beaten on her debut in a maiden at Dundalk. She will have to have come on a ton form that to even be competitive here, but she is well-bred, as you'd expect, and maybe turf will suit her better.
★★★☆☆
14:50 Curragh - The Happy Prince 2/1

Another of these competitive Group sprints but I imagine The Happy Prince will be among the favourites after his career-best second to Breton Rock over 7f at Doncaster last time. His earlier win over 6f at Navan shows he is fully effective at this trip, too. Goken could be interesting if the first-time cheekpieces work here after some disappointing runs, as his King's Stand third would give him an excellent form chance.
★★★★☆

15:25 Curragh – Capri 10/11

Aidan has a strong hand in here with four runners - though Firey Speech has to be respected after his Group 3 second at Leopardstown last time - but hopefully I am on the right one. I haven't ridden Capri yet but I have been impressed from what I have seen of him, and his win in a Listed race at Tipperary last time suggested he was a colt very much on the way up. He looks a pretty decent prospect to me.
★★★★★

16:30 Curragh – Cenotaph 7/1

I rode him in a handicap here last summer and he was off for over a year before winning impressively over 7f at Dundalk earlier in the month. I don't know the reason for the absence to be honest, and the step back to 5f here is a little surprising - he even made his debut over 6f and has raced over 1m2f in his short career - but I imagine the trainer knows exactly what he is doing. It's just a matter of whether a mark of 95 is too harsh.

★★★☆☆