Springs Return

Staged at Naas this year due to The Curragh's soon-to-be-complete redevelopment, Sunday's G3 Gladness S. has drawn a genuine attraction in Alice Springs (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Making up the third part of a Ballydoyle-Galileo trifecta in Newmarket's G1 1000 Guineas last May, Susan Magnier's bay made notable progress later in the season when completing a Group 1 treble in Newmarket's Falmouth S. and Sun Chariot in July and October and Leopardstown's Matron S. in September before rounding off with a 10th placing in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. Aidan O'Brien is not expecting any fireworks on her reintroduction. “She's done very well and physically seems to have improved a lot, but, because of that, she'll probably improve a good bit from the run. It's seven furlongs, and obviously she stays further than that, but it's a nice place to start her off. She obviously likes nice ground but for her first run it will be fine.” Third in last year's G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, Qatar Racing and Sheikh Khalifa Abdulla Al Thani's Blue de Vega (Ger) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) remains interesting with little miles on the clock and is set to drop in trip after this first start since finishing runner-up in Leopardstown's Listed Knockaire S. in October. “We had a bit of a stop-start season with him last year, which was frustrating,” explained trainer Michael O'Callaghan. “I felt he probably needed the run against [the Knockaire winner] Sovereign Debt, but he showed his old spark and he's been training well and has done very well over the winter. The plan after Sunday is to bring him back to six furlongs in the [G2] Greenlands S. at The Curragh.”