CHARLIE Appleby and Godolphin’s decision to supplement Aomori City for the Group 1 Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes speaks volumes, with connections very familiar with what it takes to win the €400,000 contest.

Appleby and William Buick won the race with Quorto in 2018, Pinatubo in 2019 and Native Trail in 2021, while Godolphin notched another two wins with Dawn Approach and Dubawi.

On tomorrow’s hope, Appleby commented: “Aomori City brings a nice profile into this and has earned his chance at this level on the back of his Vintage Stakes win. We felt there was marked improvement with the step up to seven furlongs at Goodwood and he deserves to be respected.”

The path from Goodwood to the Curragh was also taken by Pinatubo, though that win came by five lengths and extended an unbeaten record. Aomori City’s success was complimented when the third horse Cool Hoof Luke went on to win the Gimcrack Stakes.

Native Trail also came into the Group 1 with a faultless record, but shares similarities with Aomori City in that they’re both six-figure buys by Oasis Dream.

Of those with runners tomorrow, Aidan O’Brien boasts the most wins in the race at 12. The route taken by his first, Desert King, cannot be replicated these days as he came off the back of a win at Tralee. Most Ballydoyle winners, however, ran in the Futurity Stakes, with the double completed by Churchill, Henry Longfellow and Gleneagles.