Precious Freight

With The Curragh's G2 GAIN Railway S. providing a litmus test for the country's quality juveniles year on year, it is no surprise to see Aidan O'Brien's name on the honour roll no less than a dozen occasions since King of Kings (Ire) started the sequence in 1997. Now that the current Ballydoyle general is just two off the record of the late great Dr. Vincent O'Brien, it is surely only a matter of time before he eclipses that. Saturday's renewal features two from that establishment from opposite ends of the experience spectrum in Peace Envoy (Fr) (Power {GB}) and War Decree (War Front). The former took the Listed Rochestown S. over this trip at Naas May 29 before finishing fourth in the G2 Norfolk S. at five nine days ago and will appreciate this rise back in trip, while Andrew Rosen's colourbearer War Decree goes down a furlong after his debut win at Leopardstown June 3. “Peace Envoy is the toughest and hardiest to go back after Ascot,” O'Brien said. “He handles a dig in the ground and he ran well at Ascot, but we probably ran him a little bit short over five furlongs. He was fairly flat out all the way, but he kept going and didn't stop. You have to think about it with Ascot and The Curragh being so close together, but the 2-year-olds are hardy and fit at this time of the year and we've done it a few times before. The Railway S. should suit him better.”

Ger Lyons saddles a duo for owner Sean Jones, with King Electric (Ire) (Elzaam {Aus}) the pick having already beaten Peace Envoy in a conditions event over five furlongs on soft ground here May 2 prior to winning impressively in a conditions event over this distance at Navan June 11. Michael O'Callaghan has opted to supplement Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Maktoum's Mirdif (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) after his win over this trip at Leopardstown June 16 and he said, “He's a lovely horse and was very impressive in his maiden. We supplemented him for the Railway as it's a race that can cut up, coming so soon after Ascot. It looks a decent race, but he's a horse we like and hopefully he'll run well.”