Curragh preview: Luxembourg "will come on plenty" for the run

Luxembourg is the star attraction at the Curragh on Monday as the dual Group One winner makes his seasonal reappearance in the Coolmore Stud Sottsass Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes.

Derby favourite after rounding off his juvenile campaign with a top-level triumph at Doncaster, the Camelot colt only enhanced his Epsom claims when third in last season’s 2000 Guineas at Newmarket.

However, Aidan O’Brien’s charge did not make it to the premier Classic and was ultimately not seen in competitive action again until registering a workmanlike win in a Curragh Group Three in August.

O’Brien was adamant Luxembourg would improve significantly, though, and was once again proved spot-on as he saw off French raiders Onesto and Vadeni to secure Leopardstown’s Irish Champion Stakes, after which he got stuck in the mud in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

Luxembourg had the option of returning to France for his four-year-old debut in Sunday’s Prix Ganay, but O’Brien has opted to start him off in calmer waters on home soil the following afternoon.

He said: “We just thought this looked an easier option at home rather than taking him to France.

“The ground doesn’t look too testing, hopefully it will be just nice ground for everyone.

“We’re happy with where he is, he’s ready to start back. He will come on plenty for it, I’d have thought, but he is ready to start.”

Luxembourg’s rivals include Joseph O’Brien’s Above The Curve, who struck Group One gold in the Prix Saint-Alary last season, and her stablemate Visualisation, who was best of the rest behind Point Lonsdale in the Alleged Stakes a fortnight ago.

Aidan’s youngest son Donnacha is represented by Piz Badile, who won last season’s Ballysax Stakes before filling the runner-up spot in the Irish Derby.

Willie McCreery saddles his star mare Insinuendo. The six-year-old secured her third Group-race success in the Park Express Stakes in late March and got within a neck of Luxembourg last summer.

Jessica Harrington’s Trevaunance and Noel Meade’s Layfayette complete the seven-runner field.

It has been 20 years since Aidan O’Brien has tasted success in the Coolmore Stud Blackbeard Irish EBF Tetrarch Stakes, but the master of Ballydoyle holds a strong hand as Classic credentials will be put to the test at the Curragh on Monday.

O’Brien has won this contest – which often serves as a stepping stone to the Irish 2,000 Guineas – five times in the past and saddles two this year in the form of Paddington and Drumroll.

Both have found the scoresheet already this term with Paddington winning a handicap over seven furlongs on his seasonal return while Drumroll, a brother to 2000 Guineas hero Saxon Warrior, won over a mile in heavy going on his debut at Navan

O’Brien said: “Paddington won over seven last time and he’s only ever run over seven to date. This is a step up to a mile so we’ll learn a lot more about him.

“We’ve been very happy with him since his first run.

“Drumroll won over a mile in heavy ground and he looked like a horse who will stay further

“We just felt we needed to get more experience into him and learn a little bit about him.

“We thought he was ready to start before his debut but we weren’t really sure what he was going to do. We had been happy with him at home, though.

Jessica Harrington’s Bold Discovery is another who heads to post for the Listed contest, stepping up to a mile having finished second to Ballydoyle’s Hans Andersen at Leopardstown on reappearance.

“We hope he will be competitive,” said Jamie McCalmont, racing manager for owner Mark Chan.

“It’s a big day as it will tell what level you are at. He’s highly rated and long term we hope he will be a really nice horse.”

Before that the two-year-old speedsters will get to showcase their precociousness in the GAIN First Flier Stakes.

The race was won by Blackbeard 12 months ago and this time O’Brien is represented by debutants Unquestionable and His Majesty – the latter, like Blackbeard, a son of No Nay Never.

However, it could be Adrian Murray who holds all the aces as he saddles both the exciting Amo Racing-owned Bucanero Fuerte and intriguing newcomer Valiant Force.

“It’s a nice step for Bucanero Fuerte from his maiden so hopefully now he will step forwards,” said Murray.

“He has come on well since his debut, he will have improved plenty. He was quite green that day and he will be a good bit smarter and better.”

On Valliant Force he added: “He looks a real nice horse. He looks a fair tool. You don’t know until you run them, but on his homework he looks nice.”

William Haggas’ Queen Aminatu will attempt a bank holiday raid on the Coolmore Stud Circus Maximus Irish EBF Athasi Stakes.

Owned by Derby and Arc-winning owner-breeder Anthony Oppenheimer, the four-year-old was last seen plundering a huge pot at Newcastle on All-Weather Championships Finals Day and will now attempt to extend her winning run to four returning to turf.

The opposition for the UK raider includes the likes of Paddy Twomey’s Sceptre Stakes winner Just Beautiful and Henry de Bromhead’s Star Girls Aalmal.