THE GHOST of the Tralee festival has moved half an hour down the road to Killarney, and the occasion will be marked today by the appearance of the Queen of England’s runner, Four Winds, in the Listed feature named in memory of the legendary Vincent O’Brien.
The appearance of Four Winds in the Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes is the first time the colours of the British monarch will be seen in Ireland in 37 years.
It will be a first royal runner in Kerry, as well as a first experience of the Kingdom for Newmarket trainer Michael Bell. However, Jamie Spencer’s experience of Killarney is extensive and he has told Bell the track should be ideal for Four Winds.
A dozen horses will oppose the one-time Derby hope, who didn’t appear suited by soft ground when fourth to Zacinto at Goodwood on his last start, but whose Royal Ascot sixth gives him a shout of lifting the sole black type flat race run in Kerry.
Aidan O’Brien has a pair of horses involved, with his son Joseph teaming up with Windsor Palace and Seán Levey on Poet, who, significantly, is getting a quick turnaround having run at the Curragh 48 hours previously.
That came in the Group Three Desmond Stakes, which turned into something of a rout for Famous Name, but Poet ran well for long enough to suggest O’Brien’s decision to run again so quickly can pay off.
A Nursery worth €34,000 has persuaded O’Brien to run his Galileo colt Mikhail Glinka off topweight, and while 9.7 is a significant load to carry, the champion trainer’s Nursery record is encouraging, as is his son’s claim.
Normally a 90-rated Ballydoyle hope would be a standout in a three-year-old maiden at this time of year, but Totally Devoted has repeatedly displayed that she can be expensive to follow. She certainly has ground to make up on Crystal Idea from Leopardstown running behind Cilium.
The other fillies maiden sees O’Brien represented by the regally bred Waltz, but the daughter of the Breeders’ Cup runner-up L’Ancresse may have her hands full with David Wachman’s Leblon.
