3 minute read
Aidan O'Brien is no stranger to Commonwealth success having trained Caravaggio to land the three-year-old sprint feature back in 2017.
If anything, it's probably surprising he hasn't saddled a Commonwealth Cup winner in the last five years, but he looks to have a cracking chance of setting the record straight this afternoon thanks to Little Big Bear.
It's hardly surprising to see the high-class colt a shade of odds on to take the three-year-old feature at 3.05 on day four given his recent facile Group 2 Sandy Lane Stakes success at Haydock.
He was crowned the 2022 European Champion Two-Year-Old courtesy of a seven-length romp in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh and proved sprinting was his game recently having failed to stay when tailed off in the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket on his reappearance.
The form of his recent Sandy Lane victory looks rock-solid now with subsequent King's Stand Stakes winner Bradsell finishing well adrift in third and in all truth, he should take plenty of stopping this afternoon over a course and distance that looks likely to play to all of his strengths.
The chief threat certainly looks to be Sakheer. It's easy to draw some similarities between himself and the short-priced favourite given both seemingly failed to stay the mile at Newmarket last month. Sakheer did fare better of the pair however having travelled nicely on ground too soft before fading into seventh having also raced on a disadvantaged area of the track. Roger Varian's Mill Reef winner looked like an outstanding prospect over this trip at two and the unexposed son of Zoffany remains a fascinating contender back down in trip on a sounder surface.
Charlie Appleby is yet to get on the scoresheet this week and it looks interesting that William Buick has seemingly chosen Mischief Magic over Noble Style, who will now be partnered by James Doyle. The latter-mentioned has failed to live up to expectations as a three-year-old given his high-class form at two while the former, will need to bounce back from a disappointing effort in the trial held over course and distance in May. However, he was a top-class juvenile with a win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint to his name and the yard was experiencing something of a dry spell when he made his seasonal reappearance.
James Doyle's obligation to ride Noble Style has freed up Oisin Murphy to get the leg up on the progressive Shaquille. Julie Camacho's improving son of Charm Spirit made it four from five on turf with success in the Listed Carnarvon Stakes (6f) at Newbury and fully deserves to take his chance up in grade. Frankie Dettori enjoyed Ascot Gold Cup success yesterday and he'll be hopeful Lezoo can provide him with further top-level glory while Marbaan, who remains lightly raced over sprint trips, could be one for each-way punters to get onside following a head second in the Listed Cathedral Stakes at Salisbury last month.
WIN: Little Big Bear
VALUE: Mischief Magic
