Navan's G3 Coolmore Vintage Crop S. plays host to the returning G1 Gold Cup hero Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) on Sunday as the 5-year-old begins his journey towards a repeat bid at Royal Ascot. Saddled with a maximum penalty due to his 2016 exploits, the Arc third treads the familiar path also taken by the former Ballydoyle heavyweights Yeats (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), Fame and Glory (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Leading Light (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Jockey Seamie Heffernan is on board and he said, “It's a good race, but it's a nice place to start for him and it will be good to get him going again. I'm sure the trip away will bring him on, but he seems in good nick at home.” Jim Bolger puts forward a potential improver over staying trips in Godolphin's Twilight Payment (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) who was 1 1/2 lengths behind Order of St George in the G3 Irish St Leger Trial at The Curragh in August before winning the Listed Loughbrown S. there the following month. He split Torcedor (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Forgotten Rules (Ire) (Nayef) when second in a conditions race at Leopardstown on Apr. 5 and meets that pair on more favourable weight terms this time. “Twilight Payment is very well,” Bolger said. “He ran a good race last time out at Leopardstown on ground that wouldn't have suited him that well. We are expecting an improvement with better ground on Sunday.”
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