Racing Irish news and previewsThe Group Two Galileo Futurity at the Curragh has an illustrious roll of honour and Jamie Spencer can guide Oratorio on to that list this afternoon.
Just five line up for the Futurity which in the last five years has been won by the likes of Hawk Wing and Giant's Causeway.
This time Aidan O'Brien also saddles the course and distance maiden winner Carneige Hall but Spencer, who has already endured a pressurised week, has chosen Oratorio and the jockey's judgement can be backed.
Carneige Hall looked an exciting prospect on his debut, and the form of that run has worked out well, but Oratorio is the sole contender with Group One form.
The Anglesey winner got to within three-parts of a length of Damson in the Phoenix Stakes when he was the apparent stable second choice and while probably flattered by that there is no questioning this colt's consistency.
The Group Two winner Democratic Deficit has to concede 4lb all round and looks a type to improve for the step up in trip.
He looks a bigger danger than the Sandown winner Melrose Avenue who bids to give Mark Johnston a fourth Futurity success.
There isn't anything too shabby about the winners roll in the €300,000 Tattersalls Sales Stakes either with the Group One filly Majestic Desert scoring last year and the Dewhurst victor Tout Seul in 2002.
That shows the quality needed to win the restricted contest and while the Group-placed Indesatchel is clearly smart he also looks a type to need an extra furlong.
A 15 draw is hardly ideal for Tout Seul's stable companion Beaver Patrol but Mick Kinane has been booked for the ride and a narrow defeat to Justaquestion at Ascot recently shows he is in good form.
The other black type contest on the Curragh card is the Listed Belgrave Stakes which has one cross-channel raider in New Seeker.
Grand Reward, who failed to leave the stalls last time, represents Ballydoyle while last year's winner Desert Fantasy is back for another crack.
Wathab, however, is an interesting contender now that Dermot Weld pulls the National Stakes runner-up back to six furlongs from a mile.
Tomorrow's Stakes action is the Ballycullen Stakes at Fairyhouse which sees Mkuzi return to the mile and six trip over which he won the Curragh Cup in June.
Last Sunday the admirable five-year-old returned with a third at Leopardstown behind Foreign Affairs whose stable companion One Off travels from Mark Prescott's yard.
A strict figures' reading gives Mkuzi a hard task but there are question marks over the likes of Maharib and Cobra while Ivowen's Group One placing in the Pretty Polly is probably flattering.
Mkuzi in contrast is straight forward and if the ground remains good the topweight will be a threat to all.
John Oxx and Mick Kinane could also be on the mark in the preceding seven-furlong maiden where the enigmatic Pulitser represents almost the best standard of those with form. That being the case the Mujadil newcomer Adarila will not need to be a superstar to win first time out.
Amarula Ridge last ran in the 2,000 Guineas behind Bachelor Duke but brings a 100 rating to the concluding conditions race.
The standard in the €25,000 novice chase in Cork is the 134-rated Galway winner Talking Cents which leaves the likes of Swordplay and Always with plenty to do.
The latter is 5lb better off for a Galway defeat but Swordplay has looked a natural over fences and if the ground stays decent the O'Brien runner will be hard to beat.
Trainer Willie Mullins has lost his appeal against the disqualification of 2002 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup winner Be My Royal. The horse was originally disqualified by the Jockey Club's disciplinary panel at a two-day hearing in January after the horse failed a post-race drugs test for morphine.
A contaminated food supply was found to be the source of the drug and although Mullins was not fined, he was ordered to pay legal costs and Be My Royal was stripped of his victory in the Newbury race. The trainer took the case to the Jockey Club appeal board at a two-day hearing last month.
Yesterday the board announced it had upheld the original decision.
The appeal board, consisting of independent chairman Sir Edward Cazalet, Christopher Hall and Anthony Mildmay-White, explained the "decisions and reasons" in a 52-page document.
Mullins said: "I have heard that the appeal has been dismissed, but until our legal team has had time to scrutinise the findings I cannot make any further comment - and they are on holiday."
The dismissal of the appeal means that the Lavinia Taylor-trained Gingembre is confirmed as the winner of the 2002 Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup, which carried a first prize of £60,900.
