Take Fasliyev out of tomorrow's £175,000 Heinz 57 Phoenix Stakes and it's fair to say that the same field could have been assembled for a £30,000 Listed race. However, taking Fasliyev out would mean that Europe's first Group 1 juvenile contest of the season would be something of a non-event.
Aidan O'Brien's dominance of the two-year-old scene so far is clear but no overseas runner means that only John Oxx's £21,875 supplementary entry Somerset brings an element of surprise to the proceedings.
Such presumption can come crashing down around your ears but Fasliyev has shown he is clearly superior to his two stable companions, another stable companion has beaten Galloway Boy and most of the others have beaten Yara at some stage.
That leaves Somerset, who won a Curragh maiden handily enough, but considering the likes of Heated Deabate finished under three lengths behind in fourth, it was hardly the strongest maiden ever run. In the circumstances, those anxious for the prestige of the Phoenix Stakes will be hoping that Fasliyev emerges at the end of the year with his considerable potential realised.
For a Group 1 two-year-old race to maintain its status, the handicappers judge that the first four home must have achieved an average rating of 110 at the end of the season. Despite no placed horse going on to future Group 1 glory since Turtle Island and Las Meninas in 1994, the Heinz has largely achieved that this decade but this year looks likely to be the exception.
The result is that for betting purposes this year's race may not be overly attractive but those interested in watching a good horse should be rewarded.
An easy winner here on his debut, Fasliyev followed up at the Curragh before running out an extremely impressive winner of Royal Ascot's Coventry Stakes. Afterwards, one bookmaker seemed to lose the run of himself and made the Nureyev colt 8 to 1 favourite for the 2,000 Guineas!
Bernstein has subsequently usurped that position but among a crop of two-year-olds with a strength in depth rarely seen before, Fasliyev clearly ranks with the best. Rarely though has such a horse appeared to have such an easy target to confirm his Group 1 status.
Fasliyev carries the Michael Tabor colours and those same silks can also pass the post first 35 minutes later when Arkadian Hero goes in the Group 3 Phoenix Sprint.
Seven of the 11 runners are trained in Britain but the Luca Cumani-trained chestnut appears much the best of them on the balance of his form. A Group 2 winner at two, he has been placed in the top flight of sprinters since and was particularly impressive winner of a Listed race at Newbury after meeting substantial interference. Pharmacist could be the best of the home team.
It should be a good afternoon all round for Tabor as the recent rain should have put enough dig in the ground for Genghis Khan to show his best in the Broadford Race.
A 10-length winner of his maiden at the Curragh, Genghis Khan subsequently ran ninth in the Irish Derby on ground that was just a little too fast for him. He missed out on a subsequent Curragh start because of the going but the forecast of "yielding" on Leopardstown's round track should be ideal.
Tabor's substantial Ballydoyle interests will mean he will also be keeping an eye on the newcomer Adelphi Theatre in the opener. The ground should also be no problem for this son of Sadlers Wells.
The last four races could allow the others a look in and although Golden Fact has to shoulder top-weight in the August Handicap, there would be no more deserving winner. Third to Graduated in the Golden Pages, for which he is now 5lb better off, and runner-up to Tiger Shark in the McDonogh at Galway, Golden Fact can now hit the number one spot for his Co Sligo-based trainer Michael McElhone.
Now that Moonis has finally broken his maiden, he is likely to be supported for the seven-furlong handicap but maybe Silvian Bliss will be a safer investment while Danse Calassique can pick up a valuable winning bracket in the last.
