Aidan O’Brien looks to have a very strong hand on a quality card at Navan this afternoon with the trainer’s Santiago the pick in the Group 3 Vintage Crop Stakes.
Last year’s Irish Derby hero could progress into a top class stayer this season and has been found a good opportunity to start his season on a winning note.
Santiago was unable to add to his Irish Derby success in two more runs last season but on both occasions he ran quite creditably.
There is a chance that he is better than he got to show when fourth to Galileo Chrome in the English St Leger and he is hard to oppose with his yard having started the season well.
Santiago might have most to fear from the Willie Mullins-trained Stratum who lines up with the advantage of a recent run.
This talented stayer looked to be on good terms with himself when winning a conditions race at Gowran earlier this month.
The two other stakes races on the card could also fall O’Brien’s way with Lipizzaner hard to oppose in the Committed Stakes.
He ran to a good level throughout the 2020 season and ended the campaign with an excellent fourth in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Sprint.
If he returns in that form he should take a good deal of beating although Measure Of Magic is an interesting rival.
She finished a fine third in the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes on her penultimate run as a juvenile which is a strong piece of form.
Another likely Stakes winner for the Ballydoyle trainer is Willow who takes her chance in the Salsabil Stakes.
On her three runs last season she showed useful form but there is a chance that she will make up into a much better three-year-old as she is a daughter of the brilliant Peeping Fawn.
Willow won a Leopardstown maiden in good style towards the end of the 2020 season and gave the impression she would relish moving up to middle distances this year.
Elsewhere on the card Iva Batt is put forward as the answer in the fillies sprint handicap following her Dundalk maiden win last weekend.
She is a capable type and still looks reasonably treated on the best of her form last year.
Elsewhere Pretty Smart has already notched up two handicap wins at this track and she makes plenty of appeal in the apprentice rider’s handicap.
The card concludes with a couple of tricky staying handicaps and the first of these could fall to Lady Dahlia who has more to offer but is unproven on ground this quick.
Purdey’s Gift was a reasonable staying handicapper in Britain and he might land the other division of that handicap following a solid run over hurdles last time.
Tips
1.50 Amalfi Coast
2.20 Pretty Smart
2.50 Iva Batt
3.20 Lipizzaner
3.50 Willow (Nap)
4.20 Santiago
4.50 Lady Dahlia
5.20 Purdey’s Gift
