G1 Flying Five Stakes

Sunday, Curragh, post time: 16:25, COMER GROUP INTERNATIONAL IRISH ST LEGER-G1, €290,000, 3yo/up, 14fT Field: Al Qareem (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), Crystal Black (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Dallas Star (Fr) (Cloth Of Stars {Ire}), Illinois (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Leinster (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Queenstown (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Waldadler (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}), Amiloc (GB) (Postponed {Ire}). TDN Analysis: Now that Al Riffa has proven his stamina for this trip with a clear-cut win in the G2 Curragh Cup, he holds obvious claims but last year's St Leger runner-up...

Justify does Triple Crowns, that we already know, but few would have expected he would be on the verge of another so early in his second career. Responsible for the winners of this season's 2,000 Guineas and last year's Derby, he has dead aim on the St Leger on Saturday courtesy of Scandinavia as he bids to complete a remarkable turf trinity to augment his own groundbreaking one on the dirt. Scandinavia didn't start his career in the manner of Ruling Court or City Of Troy, but then not many...

Ryusei Sakai is savouring a second tilt at the G1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday, with last year's third Shin Emperor (Siyouni) featuring among 12 horses standing their ground after Tuesday's confirmation stage. Japanese raider Shin Emperor, trained by Yoshito Yahagi, delighted connections in an early workout on Tuesday, with Sakai saying afterwards, "He worked this morning on the Curragh Racecourse with his partner horse and he felt very well, very comfortable. I was very happy with the gallop. He is a more mature and stronger horse...

Group 1 winner Power Blue is aiming toward the seven-furlong G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes next month, according to trainer Adrian Murray. The son of Space Blues ran second in the G3 Marble Hill Stakes in May before a fifth-place run at Royal Ascot in the G2 Coventry Stakes. Back in the frame with a third in the G2 Railway Stakes to True Love (No Nay Never) at the Curragh in July, the colt defeated that filly in the Phoenix Stakes earlier this month. "I'm looking forward to the...

Backing up his success in last month's G1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York, Victorious Racing's Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}--Russian Punch {GB}, by Archipenko) proved he is a sprinter to be reckoned with by doubling up in Sunday's G1 Flying Five Stakes at The Curragh. Prominent throughout under Hollie Doyle, the Archie Watson-trained 2-1 favourite was committed two out and stayed on strongly to score by 1 1/4 lengths from compatriot Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) to bring his group 1 win tally to three having also conquered last year's G1 King's Stand...

Sunday's field have now been set, with the group 1 races at The Curragh and ParisLongchamp hosting some major names including Ballydoyle's elite-level winners Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Opera Singer (Justify). The former bids for a second G1 Irish St Leger during the second day of the Irish Champions Festival in Kildare, while the latter is one of a dozen fillies set to contest the G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille which is the feature of the French Arc Trials card. Kyprios will face seven in the 14-furlong contest, including Scuderia...

Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), placed twice at the highest level, is in good order ahead of a start in the G1 Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh on Sept. 15, according to Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's Harry Herbert. A winner of the G2 Sapphire Stakes over the minimum trip at the Curragh in July, the 4-year-old filly was third to Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) in the G2 King George Stakes at Goodwood, before running fan favourite Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) to three-quarters of a length in the G1 Nunthorpe...