The Gold Cup may be Royal Ascot’s Group One feature but there’s little doubt the proven Day Three Group One star is Pleascach who lines up in the Group Two Ribblesdale Stakes.
Jim Bolger’s famous determination to dance to his own beat sees the Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine drop in grade for what will be her first race in Godolphin colours and a first attempt at a mile and a half.
Sheikh Mohammed’s team will be anxious the filly whose name loosely translates from Irish as ‘explosive’ justifies Bolger’s claim that she may be the best mile and a half filly he’s ever handled and there will be plenty Curragh-based fingers similarly crossed.
Much of the intrigue surrounding the 150th Irish Derby in just nine days time surrounds Pleascach’s intended appearance against the colts, not to mention a possible Curragh classic hat-trick in the Oaks next month.
Such lofty ambitions underline the high regard this filly is held in and it will be a letdown all round if she can’t beat nine opponents that include the Coolmore pair Wedding Vow and the supplemented Gallinule winner Curvy.
Much of the Gold Cup fascination could be removed if Dermot Weld walks the track in the morning and decides ground conditions are too fast to allow his unbeaten Forgotten Rules line up.
In a race that features a single proven Group One winner, Tac de Boistron, there are three other Irish hopes but there could be value in the progressive supplementary entry Trip To Paris.
Bocca Baciata can boast a Salsabil Stakes defeat of Pleascach in the Spring although very fast conditions may not be ideal for Jessica Harrington’s runner in the Group Three Tercentenary Stakes.
Ryan Moore has opted for Disegno in this and his Fielden Stakes effort behind Golden Horn looks good now. Moore was on Cape Clear Island in the French Derby when Aidan O'Brien's colt was only five lengths off New Bay.
The Irish runner didn’t look to get a trouble-free run on that occasion however and could be a big price.
Michael Halford's Portage is drawn 29 of 30 in the Britannia but this stiff mile and fast ground can prove ideal for the Godolphin runner. He wasn't beaten far behind his stable companion Hasanour on his sole start to date this season.
With Kevin Manning on Ascot duty, Ronan Whelan comes in for the ride on Jim Bolger's Selskar Abbey in the mile and a quarter handicap at Leopardstown later in the day and this one ran on noticeably well on the track last week after meeting early interference.
Seven furlongs on quick ground could be perfect for Ger Lyons Cappella Sansevero who gets that in the Group Three Ballycorus Stakes and can prove hard to beat. Lyons puts first-time blinkers on Mint Chai in the opener and the headgear can help him finally break his maiden.
