Not since Paddy Prendergast and Christy Roche combined to win the Tote Ebor with Bonne Noel in 1973 has an Irish trained horse won the traditional centrepiece of the York festival but Aidan O'Brien can change that today.
The Ballydoyle trainer saw Saffron Walden blown out of the water by Royal Anthem yesterday but in Theatreworld, O'Brien has a horse that rarely allows anyone take liberties.
Intriguingly however, O'Brien also runs the unexposed three year old Genghis Khan and with the ground getting softer at York all the time, this half brother to the Derby winner Generous could be the dark horse of the 22 runner marathon.
Not surprisingly, Michael Kinane has chosen to ride Theatreworld with John Reid taking charge of Genghis Khan. Theatreworld, the three times Champion Hurdle runner-up is bidding to atone for his Ebor disappointment last year. Even with 9.7 and softening ground, Theatreworld looks to have a first rate chance but the softer it gets, the better Genghis Khan will like it and the excellent record of unexposed three-yearolds in the Ebor suggests he may just be well in here on 8.7.
Take out his effort in the Irish Derby when well behind Montjeu and the two times Genghis Khan has encountered soft ground have resulted in impressive wins. The first was a ten length maiden success at the Curragh and the last was when beating Maid Of Killeen by a couple of lengths at Leopardstown.
That took the colt's rating to 105, with the unmistakable impression of better to come. Theatreworld's chance is clear as is that of the possible favourite Travelmate but Genghis Khan looks a real value alternative.
The Danzig colt Mull Of Kintyre will hardly like the going too soft but he should still prove hard to beat in the Scottish Equitable Gimcrack Stakes.
An easy Leopardstown winner on his debut, Mull Of Kintyre showed unmistakable signs of greenness in the July Stakes subsequently at Newmarket but can show the benefits of that education here. O'Brien's other runner of the day Sunspangled will like the going but appears to have far too much to do on form to cope with the likes of Ramruma, Noushkey and Zahrat Dubai in the Aston Yorkshire Oaks. The form-book gives Ramruma the clear winning of this over the trip.
