3.05 DERRINSTOWN STUD

FLYING FIVE STAKES

(GROUP 1) 5F

Hit The Bid: Ended last season with an excellent second to Take Cover at Dundalk and carried that form into an industrious Dubai campaign in the winter. He returned to the fray with a good second to Blue Uluru in a Tipperary listed race last month but more is needed here and he would prefer quicker ground.

Son Of Rest: Developed into a quality three-year-old sprinter last term and finished an excellent third in this race when beaten just over 2l by Caravaggio. He hasn’t quite reached that level of form this term and he needs to return to the level he performed to in last year’s edition of this race.

Take Cover: Admirable English-trained veteran who is still performing close to the peak of his powers. He won a Beverley listed race last time, having previously run well to finish sixth in the Nunthorpe, and he also chased home Battaash in a Goodwood Group 2 in July. He could be dangerous from the front.

Battle Of Jericho: Talented three-year-old who has won two conditions races and the Rockingham Handicap so far this season. On his previous outings at Group 1 level he has come up short and, while he is a colt of considerable ability, he probably needs fast ground to make an impact at this level.

Havana Grey: Progressed into a high-class sprinting juvenile last term and bounced back to his best with a Group 2 success over Caspian Prince over this course and distance in July. His latest fifth in the Nunthorpe represented a fine effort and his ability to handle slow ground makes him one of the foremost contenders.

Sioux Nation: Top-class juvenile last season when he won the Norfolk Stakes and then the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at this track. A Group 3 win at Naas in May was highly encouraging and he didn’t run at all badly when fifth in the July Cup but he needs to bounce back from a couple of disappointing showings.

Gorane: Has a listed victory at this trip to her name and has also shown up well at pattern level on several occasions and any easing in the ground will certainly work in her favour. She has been held at listed and Group 3 level on her last two starts though and this assignment demands a career-best display.

Different League: Defeated Alpha Centauri to win last year’s Albany Stakes and then ran two fine races at Group 1 level but she has struggled to recapture that form this year. Over the course of the season she has been running well at listed and Group 3 level and, while this demands more, she is far from a forlorn hope on her respectable sixth in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes in June.

Now You’re Talking: Talented juvenile who began her season with creditable efforts at listed and Group 3 level, but lately she has been coming up short at stakes level and she will need to take a marked step forward if she is to make an impact on her return to the highest grade.

VERDICT

Havana Grey showed up well in the Nunthorpe Stakes last time and his course and distance win during the summer makes him a leading player. He is preferred to his ageless compatriot Take Cover. Different League could be quite interesting if she returns to the form of her King’s Stand Stakes run during the height of the summer.