garethp1981

The selection here is the favourite So Smart. The mark of 60 is a full 7 lb better than his best winning mark of 67, recorded at this track back in 2024. Having Ciaron Fallon Jr doing the steering is a big plus too, and while it is a fairly skinny price, there is a sliver of value in it.

There is merit to Benvenuto Cellini’s place at the head of the market, but there are also reasons to doubt him. He’s by Frankel, who, whilst undoubtedly great, did not run over this trip and whose record in this race is not as good as it is in shorter races. The dam only raced over a mile, so she is unlikely to inject the staying power needed on the ground here. Pierre Bonnard’s sire, Camelot, not only ran in but won this race. He also followed up with an Irish Derby on ground comparable to what we will see here. He was not able to win the St Leger to complete the Triple Crown, but he was second in that race. The dam also ran over this trip and won on good-to-soft ground. On balance, at the prices, the O’Brien second string is the selection here.