Luxembourg (blue sleeves)© Photo Healy Racing
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.
