The rapidly improving Moth brings the best form to the table and rates a solid bet at 7/2.
The daughter of Galileo shaped with promise in two maiden runs as a juvenile of heavy ground at Navan and Naas, looking is if she needed time to strengthen up.
She confirmed that impression on her reappearance at the Curragh, where she looked to have developed physical and put in a visually impressive performance to slam Wannabe Better by 4 1/2 lengths.
Although the form of the race is nothing to write home about it was the way in which she went about her business that marked her out as something potentially special.
After being settled at the rear early doors she was switched right a furlong from home and showed an electric turn of foot on testing ground to take up the lead and shoot clear.
Aidan O’Brien’s filly then confirmed that view when an excellent third of 15 to Sly Lantern in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket where she was beaten 2 lengths after not getting the best of runs.
After being slowly into stride she travelled well until making her move over a furlong out when her jockey had to make a decision where to go and decided to switch her inside horses.
That checked her momentum at a vital stage, but she then picked up really strongly and finished best off all to be gaining all the way to the line despite still showing signs of inexperience.
The way she finished off her race suggested that she would come into her own in middle distance races, and she immediately went into my notebook as the winner of this.
I think that she has plenty more to offer, and with the form of the Guineas being franked by the runner-up Just The Judge going on to land the Irisj equivalent, she has the strongest form on offer and should be favourite for this in my book.
That position is currently held by Secret Gesture, and although Ralph Beckett’s filly was impressive when running out the wide margin winner of the oaks Trial at Lingfield she beat absolutely nothing.
The runner-up had won just one of it’s previous eight starts and was officially rated 71, while the third home had been beaten into fourth by another of today’s contenders Banoffee at Newbury and has since finished third in a weak looking Italian Oaks.
Prior to that Secret Gesture had won a weak looking maiden at Newbury, and to me she has it all to prove at this level and has to be taken on at the odds on offer.
I also wasn’t impressed by the way Sir Michael Stoute’s Liber Nauticus won the Musidora at york, where she took an age to get going to beat a filly that had won a Musselburgh handicap off 77 by just 1 1/2 lengths, and if she were not trained by Stoute she would be much bigger than the 9/2 on offer and i also want to be against her.
Of the rest, I have the utmost respect for Hughie Morrison’s Banoffee who should a useful turn of foot to come from an impossible position to land the Cheshire Oaks, looks to be progressing with every run and has the services of Kieren Fallon in the saddle who rides the track extremely well.
However for me, Moth is the class act in the line-up and can provide team Coolmore with yet another classic winner.
Daily Sport recommended bet: 4pts win Moth (7/2 Boylesports, Hills, Paddy Power, Stan James – BOG)
