All Time Great to show she has Group potential

RYAN MOORE rides at the Curragh on Wednesday where he will partner a couple of choicely bred Ballydoyle youngsters. No Nay Never colt Alabama is one of those in the 6f conditions race (5.30), but he floundered on soft/heavy ground on his debut at Cork in April as the 6-4 favourite.

He could step forward plenty from the subsequent 60-day break, although I’d rather side with Valiant Force for the Adrian Murray yard.

Valiant Force ran Alabama’s highly regarded stablemate His Majesty to three-quarters of a length on his debut here in May (Racing Post Rating of 89) before equalling that figure upped a furlong in trip when fifth in the Marble Hill Stakes on his second outing.

Valiant Force shaped much better than the result that day as he raced alone without cover under Colin Keane, only fading in the final furlong.

He is the form pick and sure to get something to race with this time, while it is likely he could be underestimated in the betting in relation to the runners from the bigger stables.

The Jessica Harrington-trained Scarlett O’Hara is the form pick in the 1m4f fillies’ maiden (6.00) after a couple of solid seconds in maiden company, but those two efforts do not set an insurmountable standard and an official rating of 87 looks on the high side for what she has achieved.

Preference is for Aidan O’Brien’s once-raced filly All Time Great ,who admittedly has no chance on the form of her debut run but could be ready to put that well behind her.

The daughter of Justify would have hated the heavy ground when put in her place by Oaks second Savethelastdance and a few other subsequent winners at Leopardstown in April, and is worth another try over another two furlongs on a quicker surface.

All Time Great was sent off much shorter than Savethelastdance was in the betting that day but looked in need of the introduction, fading into seventh and never given a hard time.

O’Brien has seen fit to put her in the Ribblesdale at Royal Ascot next month despite her lack of experience, and her dam won the race for the same owners on fast ground in 2015.

Given 63 days to develop and get over the exertions of that Leopardstown run, All Time Great can showcase her Ribblesdale credentials from leftfield here.

The other horse I like on the Curragh card is Apache Outlaw in the 5f premier handicap (6.30).

This daughter of Churchill bagged third in the Group 2 Railway Stakes over 6f at the Curragh last season and was tried over 7f in the Futurity Stakes later in the campaign, but does not look short of speed.

She surely would have needed the run when ninth in the Lacken Stakes from an unsuitable wide draw behind race-fit Commonwealth Cup hopes The Antarctic and Ocean Quest on her return, and she is an interesting handicap debutante under smart 7lb claimer Conor Stone-Walsh.

The apprentice appears to have a touch of panache in the saddle and is operating at commendable 17 per cent strike-rate this season.

A couple also take the eye on Thursday’s card at Leopardstown, starting with Kerkiyra in a relatively weak Listed Glencairn Stakes (6.30).

Kerkiyra is a versatile filly with the speed for a mile and stamina for 1m4f, and her comeback running-on third to high-class mare Insinuendo in the Park Express Stakes in March is a standardsetting performance in this line-up.

That came over the mile, but she is slightly better over further and gets an extra furlong at Leopardstown. A 75-day absence is of little concern as her record fresh is strong and she is entered in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes next month, suggesting she could be a cut above these, and she goes on any ground.

Dermot Weld has had to exercise plenty of patience with Coeur D’Or and that approach can be rewarded in the 1m1f handicap (7.00).

Coeur D’Or only made the track four times before the age of six and was exceptionally strong in the market on his second start at seven following 121 days off at the Curragh last month, backed down from 10-1 to 20-1 on the show in a 20-runner heat on Irish Guineas weekend.

The late money almost proved well placed as Coeur D’Or rattled home for second when forced to switch wide to find a gap under Chris Hayes.

This race lacks the same strength and while he must race off 4lb higher now, he remains unexposed and can prove himself well handicapped.