Brilliant bago to win race of season

IRELAND: Today’s Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh is shaping up to be the race of the season so far and it is Gallic raider Bago who can take the Group One showpiece back to France. The Jonathan Pease-trained four-year-old has only been beaten twice in ten career starts and he already has the benefit of a run this season. Bago proved his class with three wins at the highest level last term, culminating in his Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe victory, and he picked up where he left off when taking the Prix Ganay last month. He wasn’t overly spectacular but he did the job well off a pace that was not much more than pedestrian and it would be harsh in the extreme to knock him.

The son of Nashwan is likely to be a warm order but he seems to excel at this 10-furlong trip and is difficult to oppose. Saoire is fancied to turn around Newmarket form and spring a surprise in the Boylesports Irish 1000 Guineas on the same card. Not much more could have gone wrong for Frances Crowley’s filly in the English equivalent — she got into a bumping match early on and was then denied a clear path through at a crucial point. Nevertheless, she stayed on well to be a four-length sixth behind Virginia Waters and Miss Crowley is convinced the filly will strip fitter this time. Saoire will have to improve again to come out on top against Aidan O’Brien’s charge but it is worth taking the chance she will do just that.

Back in Britain and My Putra can put his best foot forward at Brighton in the totesport 0800 221 221 Maiden Stakes. Paul Cole’s colt ran into a couple of above-average sorts last time when he was beaten into fourth at Newbury. The winner Gold Gun and second horse Kong, subsequent winner of the Lingfield Derby Trial, pulled well clear but given how well that form has worked out, My Putra was understandably just outclassed and this looks to be much more his level. Canadian Danehill relishes the fast five furlongs at this seaside track and he can score a second course and distance win in the totesport.com Handicap. The three-year-old loved the firm ground last time when beating Campeon earlier in the month, taking it up inside the final furlong to win by three-quarters of a length. Canadian Danehill hasn’t gone up too much for that win and still looks to be on an attractive mark.