New Dawn

With his sire New Approach (Ire) and full-brother Dawn Approach (Ire) having won the G1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National S. five years apart, it is up to Herald the Dawn (Ire) to maintain an illustrious family tradition on Sunday. Coaxed along by Jim Bolger so far, Godolphin’s blueblood has already emulated his sire’s win in the G2 Futurity S. over this track and trip Aug. 23, and he showed there that he can handle rain-eased going. “He’s very well. Obviously we’d prefer good ground, but he did manage to win in the soft at the Curragh,” Bolger commented. “We’ll have to take it whatever way it comes. He’s in very good form and he’s a very good 2-year-old.” Rain will compromise the prospects of Ballydoyle’s War Front duo Air Force Blue and Air Vice Marshal as Aidan O’Brien seeks a 10th edition, and if the ground turns significantly it is doubtful that either will take part. The former was the impressive winner of the G1 Phoenix S. over six furlongs here Aug. 9, where his June 27 G2 Railway S.-winning stable companion Painted Cliffs (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) was back in fourth, while the G2 Superlative S. runner-up Air Vice Marshal has missed engagements due to rain and has been unable to run since that July 11 contest. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Final Frontier (Ire) (Dream Ahead) reappears for the first time since going two-for-two in the G3 Anglesey S. over an extended six-furlong trip here July 18, and trainer Jessica Harrington is happy he will handle the step up in trip and any ease in the surface. “He’s been very good since he won the Group 3 and I’m very happy with him,” she said. “I think he will really appreciate stepping up to seven furlongs. I don’t think the ground will be any problem for him. He is out of a Pivotal mare, so you’d imagine he would probably take a bit of a dig in the ground.”