It looks a Whistlejacket v Babouche match, but could there be 'a lurker in the long grass'?

This is the next stop on the road to the Commonwealth Cup for Whistlejacket, who is generally 8-1 to give Aidan O'Brien what would be only his second win in the big three-year-old sprint at Royal Ascot. 

His sole success in that royal event came with Caravaggio in 2017 and in Whistlejacket he appears to have the perfect, battle-hardened sprinter eight years on. 

Last season's Prix Morny winner was a notable drifter on his return to action in the Committed Stakes at Navan, but he defied going from odds-on to odds-against with a tenacious display, grinding down speedy stablemate Ides Of March in the final 100 yards. 

O'Brien is anticipating improvement from first to second start, but Whistlejacket has to give 3lb to the filly Babouche, who had his measure in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh last season.

Babouche didn't exactly blow us away on her reappearance in a Listed race at Cork 12 days ago, but Ger Lyons warned us she wouldn't. He had been very open beforehand and said he was struggling to get his speedy filly fit. If she has benefited greatly from that blowout, she could be very hard to beat. 

It looks a match on paper. The figures suggest only two horses can win as Whistlejacket is rated 114 and Babouche 113 with a big drop to Treasure Isle and Carla Ridge, who both have ratings of 99. 

The fly in the ointment might be Bodhi Bear. He has an official mark of only 93, but we haven't come close to scratching the surface with him yet. He was an impressive winner of a hot Navan maiden last autumn on his final start at two and showed plenty of speed when scooting clear to win a conditions sprint at Cork last month. 

Fozzy Stack is no stranger to successful sprinters and he wouldn't be pitching him in here if he didn't feel he was up to. He's the lurker in the long grass and so, too, might be Carla Ridge. 

She was 40-1 for a Group 3 at Leopardstown last time when not enjoying much luck and is better than the bare form of that. 

It is hard to envisage anything other than Whistlejacket or Babouche winning, though, and at the prices the latter looks the one to side with.

What they say 

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Whistlejacket and Treasure Isle
We were delighted with Whistlejacket at Navan. We thought he would need the run and he was giving weight away to everything, but he still got the job done. Ryan [Moore] was very happy with him. It was always the plan to come here next and he seems very well. Treasure Isle is a fast colt who is having his first outing of the season. He's just ready to start.

Fozzy Stack, trainer Bodhi Bear
He's a nice horse who did it well at Cork. This is a big step up in class but hopefully he runs a nice race.

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