Lancaster House
This fellow lost his unbeaten record in the Group 2 Boomerang Stakes at Leopardstown in September, but was found by the vet to be lame on his left foreleg after the race.
Before that three quickfire wins in August and September had very much left LANCASTER HOUSE looking a Group winner waiting to happen. The last of those victories achieved in the Listed Listowel Stakes in which he justified favouritism easily by two-and-three-quarter lengths.
This Galileo colt is proven at around a mile and the good thing about him is he seems to operate on most surfaces, landing a famous Galway maiden on good ground and scoring at Listowel on soft. A potential top-class performer.
Lipizzaner
This Uncle Mo colt finished second on his debut in a Naas maiden in March, when he was sent off a 2/1 joint-favourite finishing half-a-length adrift of the market principal Poetic Flare with four-and-a-quarter lengths back to the third.
The champion trainer has made positive noises about his progress since and given normal service he would be expected to win next time. Although, as that outing might conceivably be in a Royal Ascot juvenile race, it might not be that straightforward.
His debut came on soft/heavy ground over five furlongs, but he’s bred to get further so the Royal extravaganza targets probably include the Windsor Castle Stakes (five furlongs, Wednesday), Norfolk Stakes (five furlongs, Friday), and Coventry Stakes (six furlongs Saturday).
Mogul
It was either this guy or Arizona for this list, as the former has been very well supported for the Derby at Epsom. Meanwhile, Arizona is our worst result in the 2,000 Guineas after reports that a drone couldn’t keep up with him on the gallops.
This Galileo colt was backed at 50/1 for the Derby before he was well beaten on his debut, but he put that right next time when winning a Curragh maiden by over three lengths. He was then a very short favourite for the Group 2 Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown in September, when he was one-and-a-quarter lengths too powerful for Sinawann.
His last effort in the top-class Vertem Futurity Trophy at Newcastle when fourth behind Kameko over a mile could be seen as disappointing, but considering it was his first start on the all-weather, he was slowly away and he’s bred to be much better over further. That’s why that run can be forgiven.
Mount Everest
Connections clearly think the world of this Galileo colt as he’s run at the highest level on two of his last three starts, only going down by two-and-three-quarter lengths after a tardy start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita in November.
Before that he took three attempts to win his maiden as a two-year-old, before finding only stable companion Japan a wafer-thin short head too powerful in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes at Naas.
Last October he prevailed by around the same margin from Ancient Spirit in a Listed race at Leopardstown and you would have to think there’s at least a Group 3 or Group 2 contest in this lad.
Vatican City
It must have been slightly frustrating when this Galileo colt was denied a clear run and switched left by pilot Ryan Moore over a furlong from home after they had gone to the trouble of travelling to England for his debut last October in a seven-furlong novice.
However, it was only a novice, so it’s unlikely any sleep was lost and he made no mistake at the second time of asking – easily scoring by two-and-a-half lengths in a similar event at Dundalk 25 days’ later.
It’s a hell of a long way from a Dundalk maiden to a classic, but he holds entries in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the English and Irish Derbies, so it will be interesting to see where he rocks up at next.
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