Thursday evening's G3 Ballyroan S. at Leopardstown sees a small field assemble for an intriguing 12-furlong contest. June Judd's Stellar Mass (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) heads a sophomore team of three taking on their elders and makes a swift reappearance off the back of a win in the Listed Her Majesty's Plate at Down Royal 13 days ago. Described by Kevin Manning as “idling all the way up the straight” there, the typically busy Jim Bolger trainee has the credentials to assert here, having previously hit the board behind Harzand (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Idaho (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the June 25 G1 Irish Derby at The Curragh.
Last year's Classic form is represented by G1 St Leger second-cum-winner-cum-second Bondi Beach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who returns off a break after annexing May's G3 Vintage Crop S. at Navan. He is joined by stablemate Shogun (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who hit the board in Goodwood's G3 Gordon S. last week after playing the role of also ran in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, G1 Epsom Derby and G1 Irish Derby. Dermot Weld has streamlined an original entry of four down to one and the in-form conditioner sends forth last term's Listed Oyster S. and Listed Bluebell S. runner-up Almela (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) to do duty for Rosewell House in this belated seasonal return.
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