RACING: High Chaparral's defection from tomorrow's Prix Niel insures the Ballydoyle Sunday focus will be on Van Nistelrooy's attempt to graduate to Group One status.
Unbeaten in three starts over the course and distance, the $6.4 million colt is joined by Spartacus and two other stable companions in the Aga Khan Studs National Stakes.
To add to the spice there is the €32,000 supplementary entry Dublin who represents the Godolphin team on a roll from Almushahar's win yesterday.
Dublin is rated well behind Almushahar but will be a good benchmark for Aidan O'Brien to assess his expensive star.
"We haven't done a whole lot with Van Nistelrooy since his last race. The whole thing has been a bit upside down recently because of the coughing so we are just hoping for a good run.
"Spartacus did well to win the Phoenix Stakes and seven furlongs certainly won't be a hindrance to him," O'Brien said yesterday as he goes in search of a fifth National success in seven years.
He also confirmed that High Chaparral remains on target for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe despite missing out on a warm-up clash with Sulamani at Longchamp.
"We feel it is just a little quick after last weekend when his blood was not quite right. He is okay but we just want to give him more time. The Arc is the plan and he will probably go straight there," O'Brien added.
The O'Brien runner in the Group Three Blandford is Maryinsky who was sacrificed as a pacemaker for Sophisticat in last weekend's Matron Stakes.
She lasted the distance however, and the extra quarter mile will be in her favour today, as will the weight concession from the Ribblesdale winner Irresistible Jewel.
The Kentucky Derby flop Castle Gandolfo returns to action in the Listed Solonaway Stakes and should relish the fast conditions.
However, Blatant's Listed win at Tralee was so impressive, the Oxx runner will have to be followed until beaten. The other black type contest is the Listed Blenheim Stakes where the beaten Moyglare favourite Danaskaya goes for quick compensation. This is a third quality race in succession for the filly, however, and on the ground, the Moyglare fifth Anna Frid could be fancied to reverse placings.
Aiden O'Brien's Van Nistelrooy faces nine rivals when he puts his big reputation on the line in tomorrow's Aga Khan Studs National Stakes at the Curragh.
