'He's the real deal' - can Curragh specialist Art Power maintain perfect track record with success in the Sapphire Stakes?

Art Power plus the Curragh equals success. That has been the equation on all three of his visits to the track no matter what sort of form he appears to be in beforehand.

He won the Renaissance Stakes here last September on the back of finishing eighth to 12 in the Sprint Cup at Haydock and earlier this year he scooted away with the Greenlands Stakes having trailed in eighth of ten behind Azure Blue at York.

It does not seem to matter what Art Power we see in preparation for the Curragh, once he gets here he just comes alive.

He did not fare too badly at all in last Saturday's July Cup where he was beaten less than three lengths by the sensational Shaquille. If this does not come too quickly afterwards, he ought to take plenty of catching.

The trip is a concern, though. He has only been tried over the minimum trip twice in the last three seasons and neither ended well. He was only eighth in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood won by Suesa and ran a shocker in a conditions race at Newcastle last December.

Ladies Church returned from a productive spell over in Dubai to win a Listed race at Naas in May. She was three lengths too good for Moss Tucker, who reopposes here, but her one try on soft ground in last year's Flying Five saw her trail in 17th of 19 behind Highfield Princess. Soft ground would be a major concern for her.

There are no such concerns for the mudlark White Lavender. It was bottomless when she was just touched off by The Platinum Queen in the Prix de l'Abbaye last year and she has a Group 3 win on her CV on officially very soft ground at Longchamp last time too.

She managed to put a tame reappearance at Bath behind her with a stylish success in that aforementioned Longchamp sprint back in May, a display she was handed an RPR of 112 for, and the evidence suggests the older she is getting the quicker she is becoming. She is dangerous here.

Moss Tucker beat Tenebrism on deep ground at Naas in April and he will be happy with all this recent rain too, but he will need a career best to land this.

What they say

Alastair Donald, racing manager to King Power Racing, owners of Art Power
He is unbeaten in three runs over six furlongs at the Curragh and has won at Naas too, so that’s four from four in Ireland. He’s dropping down to five furlongs but isn’t short of pace and the stiff finish over the trip should suit. It’s quite a quick back-up from a reasonably hard race in the July Cup, but he’s in good shape. He ran well at Newmarket as it wasn’t ideal when Shaquille went forward and took him on. White Lavender looks the one to beat.

Ado McGuinness, trainer of Go Athletico
He looks a very smart sprinter. We bought him out of France and he won well at Cork so we hope he's the real deal.

Johnny Murtagh, trainer of Ladies Church
We're keen to run her as she hasn't run for a while and she's fresh and well in herself, but I wouldn't like to see any more rain for her.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of Maria Branwell
She will need a career-best to be in the mix here, but the trip at the Curragh should suit her well so hopefully she can give a good account of herself.

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