The Royal Hunt Cup entry who has been backed ante-post into 10-1 from 100-1 and represents top connections

The Liffey is no bigger than 8-1 for the Royal Hunt Cup at Royal Ascot next Wednesday, having been 100-1 with several firms on May 20. Here we look at his form and credentials for the £175,000 handicap over the straight mile . . .

His form for Aidan O’Brien

The Liffey, who started his career with Aidan O’Brien and Coolmore, made a successful debut as a juvenile at the Curragh in June 2023. The son of No Nay Never was sent off an 8-1 shot – his stablemate Alabama was the 8-15 favourite in fourth – but showed a professional attitude to hold on by a neck in the 6f contest under Seamie Heffernan.

Runner-up My Mate Alfie has won a premier handicap, Listed race and Group 3 at the Curragh, and is rated 110, while the third Prestige Always – previously named Mythology – ended his juvenile campaign in Ireland with a mark of 100 before moving to Hong Kong.

The sixth Mountain Bear ended his two-year-old season with a runner-up effort to stablemate Unquestionable in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and left O’Brien last year with a rating of 111.

The Liffey failed to fire on his reappearance at three in a Group 3 over 7f on heavy ground at Leopardstown in April last year. He got upset in the stalls and failed to trouble the principals in fifth under Wayne Lordan in a race that had plenty of depth.

The Liffey: won two of his three races for Aidan O'BrienCredit: Racing Post

The Liffey and runner-up Samuel Colt are the only two in the eight-runner line-up who do not now have a triple-figure rating – and they are rated 98.

Lordan kept the ride for what proved to be The Liffey’s final start for the Ballydoyle trainer when successful at Listowel in June last year. He recorded a career-best Racing Post Rating of 104 and was a convincing two-length winner over Without Words, who ended last season with a rating of 102. The third and fifth are now rated 99 and 95.

Chris Armstrong, the trainer’s representative at Listowel, said: “I think the heavy ground at Leopardstown caught him out. His ideal trip is seven furlongs or a mile on quick ground and this race fitted in nicely for him. It's a nice confidence-booster. He might now step back up into stakes company.”

Debut promise for Joseph O’Brien

The Liffey’s three-year-old campaign was cut short after just two starts and he was bought for 75,000gns by Avenue Bloodstock at the Tattersalls Autumn horses-in-training sale in October.

The Liffey was gelded soon after joining Joseph O’Brien and, interestingly, Sue Magnier and Derrick Smith kept shares in him. He shaped encouragingly on his first start for the trainer in a Listed race at Naas last month when sent off a 16-1 shot.

Scott McCullagh’s mount made steady headway from the rear and kept on to finish a never-nearer fourth. It was a nice pipe-opener for the campaign and suggested The Liffey has retained plenty of his ability.

The first three run in the Ballycorus Stakes at Leopardstown (6.20) on Thursday evening, while the last three could boost the form at Cork or Fairyhouse on Friday evening.

How his price has contracted

The Liffey was a 100-1 shot for the Hunt Cup with Paddy Power and Sky Bet on May 20, and drifted to the same price with Unibet (from 50) five days later.

Support for the four-year-old started to come towards the end of last month, but he was still available to back at 50-1 in the first week of June.

The Liffey: was a debut winner as a juvenile at the Curragh in 2023Credit: Racing Post

Those odds have tumbled since, though, with The Liffey no bigger than 33-1 at the end of last week.

He was a best-price 22-1 with Betfred on Monday, and after being tipped by Ante-Post Pricewise on Tuesday, is now a general 8-1 chance.

What the bookmakers say

Aidan O’Brien does not have an entry in the Royal Hunt Cup so there must be a chance that Ryan Moore rides The Liffey given the horse’s connections and Sky Bet would not be surprised if he ends up vying for favouritism. The Roger Varian-trained My Cloud heads the betting at a general 5-1.

Sky Bet’s spokesperson Michael Shinners said: “The Liffey has been well backed over the last couple of weeks. We were 100-1 after his run at Naas and with the trainer-owners combination he has proved incredibly popular.

“With a question mark as to whether the current favourite, My Cloud, will get in the race, it would be no surprise to see The Liffey going off favourite.”

Paddy Power report The Liffey to be a “bad ante-post result” having offered 100-1 just over three weeks ago.

The firm’s spokesperson Paul Binfield said: "We saw plenty of bets at 100-1 and 50-1 when we put the race up originally.

“That meant he was already a decent loser for a handicap this far out, but momentum behind the No Nay Never gelding gathered when Pricewise put him up at 22-1, which saw a fresh wave of cash.

“It’s fair to say he’s a bad ante-post result for us, but, as usual with a meeting of this importance, it’s unlikely to be of the scale of liabilities we'll be holding on the actual day."

Royal Hunt Cup (5.00 Royal Ascot, Wednesday)
Ladbrokes: 5 My Cloud, 6 Volterra, 7 The Liffey, 8 Skukuza, 12 Roi De France, Treasure Time, 14 Qirat, 16 Arabian Light, Boiling Point, Bullet Point, Cicero's Gift, 20 bar

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