RACING/LEOPARDSTOWN REPORT: RAYENI LED home a John Oxx one-two in yesterday's Group Three feature at Leopardstown which only reinforced the trainer's hopes that he possesses an exciting crop of classic hopefuls for 2009.
Sea The Stars might be the banner name among them, but ante-post classic prices for next year were also being bandied around after yesterday's Killavullan Stakes and following Space Telescope's winning debut in the seven furlong maiden.
"He might develop into something alright," Oxx said about Space Telescope, which, in the language of the notoriously understated Curragh trainer, is pretty much as effusive as he can get about a juvenile.
There was certainly enough in the Galileo colt's length-and-a-half victory to encourage hopes for next year, a comment that also applies to Rayeni, who beat another stable companion, the 11 to 10 favourite Vitruvian Man, by a length and a half in the Killavullan under Fran Berry.
"He's a quiet, sensible little fellah, so you don't notice him much, but he wakes up when he gets to the track. He must have it soft and he's a smart horse when he gets it," Oxx said of Rayeni, who was cut to as low as 20 to 1 for next year's 2,000 Guineas.
"The other horse had the coffin draw in one and if there was no pace he could have been boxed in. So we decided to make the running, which didn't suit him," he added.
Unlike Rayeni, Space Telescope had been getting plenty of attention at home and justified those hopes with a smooth win for Michael Kinane.
"I thought he might need the run to wake him up but he travelled like a winner the whole way," Oxx said of a colt from the family of Generous.
"He might make up into something and he's not just a soft ground horse."
Of his overall impressive juvenile strike-rate this year, Oxx added: "They looked like a nice bunch when we were breaking them last spring, definitely better than usual. I'm sure Ballydoyle will come along next year with a never-ending line of good ones and put us in our place. But we've got a chance!"
Dermot Weld believes Famous Name will get a chance to win a Group One prize next season as the French Derby runner-up ended his 2008 campaign with a comprehensive success in the Listed Trigo Stakes.
First-time blinkers looked to help Famous Name, who was bouncing back from an abortive attempt at the Prix Dollar on Arc weekend.
"We got our tactics wrong in France. He was a little bit fresh in front and he became a target for the others," Weld said yesterday.
"He was unlucky not to win the French Derby, but hopefully he will go and win his Group One next year. The Prix Ganay is a logical race for him."
Weld saddled his first double for the Juddmonte team as Casual made a winning debut in the fillies maiden that provoked 40 to 1 quotes for next year's 1,000 Guineas.
"She is a filly with potential. She's got a gear," said Weld of the Nayef filly, who is from the family of Friday night's Breeders' Cup winner Ventura.
Both Weld winners were ridden by Pat Smullen, who is now an 8 to 11 favourite with Ladbrokes to edge out Fran Berry and Johnny Murtagh for this year's flat jockeys' championship.
The Galway Hurdle-winning rider Paul Townsend was also in double form aboard Tom Hogan's Espartano in the mile handicap and Tango Foxtrot for Willie Mullins in the mile and a quarter handicap.
