Irish St Leger Trial: NAP and NB The Irish St Leger Trial Stakes, a key prep race for the Group 1 Irish St Leger itself next month, is the second of two Group 3s to take place at The Curragh on Saturday. A small but select field of five are due to tackle the 1m6f contest, with the market expected to be headed by Aidan O’Brien’s Puppet Master, who will be in receipt of a 9lb three-year-old allowance. O’Brien has won seven of the last ten renewals, including with Flag Of Honour in 2018, the last horse to win this and follow up in the big one back here in September. By Marcus Buckland: Selection: Puppet Master Next Best: Absurde O’Brien’s dominance set to continue Three-year-olds have won the last two runnings of this event and that trend looks set to continue with PUPPET MASTER, who looks to bounce back from a rather underwhelming effort in the Irish Derby over 1m4f here on his last start. Previously successful in the Group 3 Lingfield Derby Trial, the son of Camelot bypassed Epsom in favour of a crack at The Curragh equivalent, but he didn’t fire, soon outpaced when the race developed and beating just one home, coming home 13.5 lengths adrift of his winning stablemate, Lambourn, who was completing a Derby double. It was undoubtedly a disappointing performance from the 11-1 chance, but his master trainer Aidan O’Brien has wasted no time in stepping him up in trip and given it’s his sole participant in a race he’s won nine times previously, confidence in the camp is clearly high. Absurde vulnerable There are few, if any, better dual-purpose horses in training at present than ABSURDE and he looks the chief threat to Puppet Master, as the betting highlights. However, Willie Mullins’ admirable seven-year-old was soundly beaten when a warm order for the Listed Grand Cup Stakes by Al Qureem at York when last seen and he’s going to need plenty more if he’s to open his account for the campaign. He’s rated 108, 3lb ahead of Puppet Master, but that rival will be receiving a 9lb weight-for-age allowance, which makes matters difficult. Murray bids for another upset Adrian Murray, who enjoyed a fantastic time of it here last weekend, most notably when his Power Blue upset the odds-on True Love in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes, is represented by Dallas Star. Rated 100, he’s up against it on the book, but the stable is in good order and the four-year-old should appreciate coming back in trip, having gone well for a long way over 2m5f at Royal Ascot last time. Uxmal should strip fitter Joseph O’Brien’s Leinster has done little wrong this season, winning a handicap here over 1m4f on soft ground on his reappearance, prior to finishing fourth in both the Chester Cup and Ascot Stakes. He warrants his place in the field, but he’s the lowest rated (93) and could find things happening a bit too quick for him, particularly with the prospect of fast ground. The yard’s other runner, Uxmal, is the joint top-rated alongside Absurde and is hard to dismiss with his run in last month’s Group 2 Curragh Cup entitled to have brought him on plenty, given it was his first start in over a year. He’s fragile, but has a good strike-rate and should give a good account of himself.
