Rumplestiltskin's son one of several newcomers to catch the eye at the Curragh

With the Grand National meeting over, the Curragh on Sunday will give further impetus to thoughts of the changing of the seasons and the Flat coming to the fore and, in addition to a couple of Group races, there are some tasty maidens to get stuck into.

The TRI Equestrian Irish EBF Maiden (4.45) especially catches the eye in terms of newcomers, none more so perhaps than the Joseph O’Brien-trained Olympicus.

The three-year-old is owned by Coolmore and the Niarchos family, who also bred the son of US Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of Moyglare Stud Stakes and Prix Marcel Boussac winner Rumplestiltskin.

The colt is therefore a half-brother to four winners by Galileo, including Yorkshire Oaks winner Tapestry and Group 3 winner John F Kennedy.

The regally bred Olympicus is one of 15 declared for the mile and a quarter contest, which should be an informative affair.

Other newcomers who look intriguing on paper include Waterville, trained by Joseph’s father Aidan. By Camelot out of Holy Moon, a daughter of Hernando, he was sold as a foal at Goffs November, where it took a bid of €280,000 to get him by MV Magnier.

He is a half-brother to no fewer than ten winners, most notably Sea Of Class, by Sea The Stars, the ill-fated filly who would very likely have been a dual Oaks winner had connections gone to Epsom as well as the Curragh and who was desperately unlucky not to beat Enable in the 2018 Arc when drawn in the car park.

There are three fillies in the line-up, including the Aga Khan’s Hazra, a daughter of Golden Horn out of Group-placed winner Haziyna, who is notably a half-sister to dual hero Harzand, who this year stands at Gilltown Stud for €5,000.

That makes the Dermot Weld-trained filly a half-sister to Flat winners Hazmiyra and Hasimiyya, and she looks an interesting runner in receipt of 5lb.

Also receiving the fillies’ allowance is Jim Bolger’s homebred Insulate, by Australia and whose unraced dam Ionsai Nua is closely related to Irish 1,000 Guineas and Yorkshire Oaks winner Pleascach, and from the family of Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Spain.

Meditate making moves?

The opening fillies’ maiden (1.20) over the minimum trip sees €360,000 Arqana August Yearling graduate Meditate make her debut for Coolmore and Ballydoyle.

By No Nay Never, she is out of Dalakhani’s well-related daughter Pembina and, interestingly given she starts at five furlongs, is a half-sister to mile and a half winner Mythological.

Joseph O’Brien introduces juvenile debutante Remind in the same race, and she catches the eye on pedigree, given her dam Queen Iseult is a half-sister to Prix Morny and Jean-Luc Lagardere winner, and now Haras de Grandcamp sire, Dabirsim.

The filly is by U S Navy Flag and owned by Coolmore and Philip Antonacci.

Bolger homebred Slaney Tide is another newcomer to note in the opener, in which Amo Racing’s Drunk In Love should give the debutantes some kind of marker having finished a creditable fourth on her debut at Dundalk earlier this month given she bucked rider Leigh Roche repeatedly. The daughter of Bungle Inthejungle should know more here.

The following six-furlong maiden (1.55) drew 14 colts at declaration time, a dozen of whom will be running for the first time.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Little Big Bear set connections back €320,000 at Arqana last August. Another by No Nay Never, the colt’s dam Adventure Seeker is a granddaughter of Arc hero All Along, and he is a half-brother to three winners in American Graffiti, Andrea Montagna - also Group-placed - and Soyounique.

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