Five in the Ballycorus Stakes

Leopardstown, Thursday 9 June: Five horses will contest the Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes (3rd race/19.15/50,000 Euro/1408m) at Leopardstown today. Last year`s winner Real Appeal (Shane Foley) later won the Boomerang Mile (Group 2) on the same course and even tried his hand in the Breeders` Cup (Group 1) in the USA at last year`s start, but came away empty-handed.

In the Amethyst Stakes (Group 3), the Sidestep son made his seasonal debut and finished a disappointing fifth behind the lightly-raced Pretreville (Ronan Whelan). For the latter it was already his fourth appearance of the year and his first full success. Dr Zempf (Colin Keane) won the 2000 Guineas Trial (list race) here but did not finish higher than fifth on another appearance at the Curragh. Straight Answer (Gary Carroll) was a good list runner-up at Navan. His recent strike result at Group 3 level should not be chalked up too harshly for the three-year-old. Thunder Moon (Declan McDonogh) had high hopes after winning the Phoenix Stakes (Group 1), which he could only fulfil in Deauville when second in the Prix Jean Prat (Group 1).