Strong British challenge for Group 3 sprint in race visitors have dominated

Al Basti Equilord Mercury Stakes (Group 3) | 5f, 2yo+ | ATR

First run in 2008, this event has been dominated by British-trained sprinters who have won six of the ten runnings including the last four.

The race has been upgraded from Listed to Group 3 level this year and British trainers account for four of the nine runners, with Encore D'Or, Equilateral, Shumookhi and the Karl Burke-trained Life Of Riley in the line-up.

Hollie Doyle will be aboard Shumookhi, whose trainer Archie Watson said: "She's been solid this year against her own generation and, getting all the allowances, I think she'll run well. She's dropping back to five furlongs, but she won the Listed St Hugh's Stakes over this trip by three lengths so she has plenty of speed."

One of four juveniles in the race Shumookhi finished second to Queen Of Bermuda in the Group 3 Firth of Clyde Stakes at Ayr on her most recent start last month.

Ten-time winner Encore D'Or, the mount of Shane Foley, is on a hat-trick and trainer Robert Cowell said of the six-year-old: "It's a tight race but he's up there on the ratings, arrives in rude health and is at his best on the all-weather, so we have to go for it. I think he's got a good each-way chance."

Charlie Hills, trainer of Equilateral, said of Colin Keane's mount: "People know how highly I rate this colt, who's been highly tried and perhaps left me with a little egg on my face.

"However, I still think an awful lot of him and he didn't run badly at Newbury last time when a slow start and easy ground might have just taken the sting out of his finish. He's been on the all-weather plenty of times at home and I think he has every chance."

A three-time winner, Equilateral has twice won over the minimum trip and is dropping down to the distance having run fourth over in a Group 3 over 6f last time.

John Egan partners Life Of Riley, who put up his best performance when runner-up in the Molecomb Stakes at Goodwood.

Aidan O'Brien is three-handed as he seeks a first win in the race. Lost Treasure, a fast-finishing fifth in the Prix de l'Abbaye before losing out narrowly in the Listed Waterford Testimonial Stakes at Navan on Sunday, is the mount of Donnacha O'Brien.

The three-year-old, the only course winner in the race, is blinkered for the first time and is joined by stablemates All The King's Men, winner of the Listed Legacy Stakes at Navan on Sunday, and fellow two-year-old Fantasy.

Aidan O'Brien: runs three as he seeks first victory in the raceCredit: Edward Whitaker

O'Brien said: "Lost Treasure seems to have taken his Navan race well. We're putting blinkers on as he was inclined to wait a bit and not do a lot last time when he got there and they might help him concentrate more.

"All The King's Men is taking his races well and seems in good form since his win on Sunday, while the trip and the surface should suit Fantasy and hopefully she'll run well."

Darren Bunyan is represented by Hit The Bid, who was second to Take Cover in the race last year and whose best effort this season came at the Curragh last month when he ran fourth behind Havana Grey in the Group 1 Flying Five, while the Joseph O'Brien-trained four-year-old filly Amthaal, winner of a Bellewstown maiden over the distance in July, completes the field.

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