Dual Irish St Leger star Search For A Song makes comeback in Vintage Crop

Saturday: 4.46 Navan
Vintage Crop Stakes (Listed Race) | 1m6f | 4yo+ | RTV

This staying event with a rich roll of honour has been downgraded from Group 3 status since last year, but the 2022 edition sees an up-to-scratch running headlined by a top-level mare.

Dermot Weld and Moyglare Stud have kept dual Irish St Leger winner Search For A Song in training for another season at the age of six and her rating of 115 is the best on offer here.

Saturday's Listed event named after her trainer's first Melbourne Cup winner will surely be a stepping stone towards Group 1 company, and she did improve with racing last term.

It could have been two Group 1-winning mares in the line-up but for the absence of Princess Zoe, who was withdrawn due to quicker than ideal ground.

Last seen finishing down the field in a Group 3 staying handicap on Saudi Cup day at Riyadh in February, her next start could come at Ascot on Wednesday in the Group 3 Sagaro Stakes, according to trainer Tony Mullins.

Last year's winner of this race Baron Samedi was beaten eight lengths when fourth in that valuable Saudi Arabian handicap before finishing down the field in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan.

This looks a more manageable assignment but he's hard to fancy on the back of that effort and must concede weight to all rivals.

Kyprios, a brother to Search For A Song, is rated 100 and needs to improve but could be much better as a four-year-old when putting it all together.

This will be his first racecourse appearance since being withdrawn at the start of the Queen's Vase at Royal Ascot, having gone down in the stalls beforehand. He's entitled to improve for the run.

Sunchart, rated 102, made a lovely reappearance at Gowran 16 days ago when pushing Wordsworth all the way in a conditions race despite being 8lb wrong at the weights.This is a tougher assignment, but trainer Andrew Slattery is expecting his five-year-old to progress nicely from that outing.

Leo De Fury has yet to race beyond 1m4f - and posted a career-best effort when landing the 2020 Mooresbridge Stakes over 1m2½f - but would be an interesting player if improving for the step up in trip.

A half-brother to Luxembourg by Australia, he has the benefit of a satisfactory comeback run at the Curragh and could be a value each-way play in the circumstances.

Camorra, a Group 3 winner on Irish Champions Weekend trained by Ger Lyons, has tended to come forward for his first starts of the season.

What they say

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Leo De Fury
It's his second start of the season and we're stepping him up to this trip for the first time. We'll find out whether it will suit him here – hopefully it does.

Andrew Slattery, trainer of Sunchart
He ran a blinder on his comeback at Gowran and I'd expect him to come on for that. He took a blow about three furlongs out and kept going well. We're training him a little differently this year and hopefully that will help him. This looks a hot contest but he's going there with as good a chance of any of them.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Kyprios
He disappointed us in the Lingfield Derby Trial and didn't run again last year. We're happy with him, and we think he has the makings of a Cup horse.

Jim Gorman, assistant trainer of Seattle Creek
He's a nice horse and we're hoping he might improve as much as his half-brother Raa Atoll did from three to four. There's only one way of finding out whether he has. It's a big step up but hopefully he can run a nice race.

Dermot Weld, trainer of Search For A Song
This looks a good edition of the Vintage Crop Stakes, but it's always a strong race. Search For A Song is ready to start back. I'm happy with her and hopefully she can have another good campaign this year.

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