Found will face seven rivals in her bid to provide Aidan O’Brien with a seventh victory in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on Sunday.
The master of Ballydoyle has landed the Group One prize with the likes of Duke Of Marmalade (2008), Fame And Glory (2010) and So You Think (2011 and 2012) in recent years and top-class filly Found is a hot favourite to follow in their hoof prints.
Having signed off last season with victory over the brilliant Golden Horn in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, the daughter of Galileo suffered defeat on her return to action in April’s Alleged Stakes, but raised her game to win the Mooresbridge three weeks ago.
Fascinating Rock beat Found in last season’s Champion Stakes at Ascot and although that form was reversed in the Mooresbridge, with Dermot Weld’s charge finishing third, he can be expected to strip fitter for the run.
Kevin Ryan saddles stable star The Grey Gatsby, while Roger Charlton, who won this prize twice with Al Kazeem (2013 and 2015), sends Time Test across the Irish Sea.
Success Days split Found and Fascinating Rock in the Mooresbridge and trainer Ken Condon is keeping his fingers crossed for another bold show.
“If the ground is right, he’s going to give it a rattle for sure. He would be lighter and tighter now, but he is a 33-1 shot,” Condon told At The Races.
“Found in my opinion is the best horse in training in Europe and Roger Charlton’s horse looks like he’s improving and he will probably win a Group One race.”
Jessica Harrington’s Bocca Baciata, the John Murphy-trained Hot Sauce and Fascinating Rock’s stablemate The Steward complete an eight-strong field.
