It may have lost its Group 2 status, but the G3 Kilfrush Stud Royal Whip S. at The Curragh is as interesting an encounter anywhere around on Sunday as Aidan O'Brien relaunches US Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) against Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). After just three starts, Susan Magnier's representative is the winner of the May 5 G3 Chester Vase and has finished an excellent second in an above-average renewal of the June 4 G1 Epsom Derby, but Aidan O'Brien is issuing his usual warning with regards to the colt's fitness level. “US Army Ranger is back after having a good, long break and is just ready to start back,” he said. “We've been happy with him since Epsom, but he is just ready to start off and he'll improve a lot for the run at the weekend. He was supposed to run in the Juddmonte International and Found go for the Royal Whip, but he just wasn't going to be ready in time so we changed plans. We're probably looking at the Irish Champion Stakes with US Army Ranger, if all goes well.”
Last year's G1 Champion S. winner Fascinating Rock is another who has come to need his comeback off a sojourn as he ages and connections are not expecting any fireworks on his first run since his impressive success in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup over 10 1/2 furlongs here May 22. “You always look forward to riding a horse like him,” jockey Pat Smullen commented. “It's his first run back after a break and he is a horse that tends to take a run. You'd like to think whatever he does on Sunday, it should leave him cherry-ripe for the rest of the season. We're getting him ready for an autumn campaign and the English Champion Stakes would look the obvious target for him again, but we'll see. It looks a tough race on Sunday and he's got to carry the penalty, but we know he's a very good horse.” Another top-level performer in the line-up is the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas runner-up and G1 Lockinge S. third Endless Drama (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who enjoyed a confidence-boosting win in a mile conditions event at Naas July 20 and will pick up the pieces if the bigger names lack conditioning.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
