Cliffs Of Moher and Ryan Moore© Photo Healy Racing
Cliffs Of Moher bids for his first Group One success when he lines up for the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on Sunday.
Last year's Investec Derby runner-up warmed up for the 10-furlong showpiece with victory in the Group Two Mooresbridge Stakes at Naas, when he defeated Success Days
Trainer Aidan O’Brien believes this is the obvious next port of call.
“We were happy with Cliffs Of Moher at Naas last time and he came home really well that day,” he said.
“The Tattersalls Gold Cup looked a logical next race for him so we are looking forward to running him.
“We’ll stay at a mile and a quarter for the moment and then we’ll see where we go after that.
“He was second in the Derby having won at Chester before that. He was badly hampered in the Eclipse, but after that his season dropped away.”
O’Brien also saddles Lancaster Bomber who was third in the Lockinge last weekend, while his son, Joseph, is represented by Reckless Gold
The chief threat to Cliffs Of Moher promises to be British raider Defoe although his participation hinges on the ground and trainer Roger Varian plans to walk the track on raceday.
He is, however, happy with the shape his four-year-old is in, with a Group Three and Two already in the bag this season.
The Newmarket trainer said: “He’s done nothing wrong in his whole career really, but this year has been a step up from last year.
“He’s one of our best horses and with the whole season he’s very exciting when you put him in the middle-distance bracket.
“He is a horse that can contest some of the top prizes and he’s very well.”
Success Days is making his third successive appearance in the race, having finished third and fourth in the last two renewals.
The six-year-old likes cut in the ground, but trainer Ken Condon believes that is not as important as it used to be.
“We’ll be keeping an eye on the weather. There was the possibility of a little rain and they might put some water on. He is in very good form,” he said.
Success Days was only beaten a length and three-quarters by Cliffs Of Moher less than four weeks after taking on the mighty Winx in Australia.
“He ran an excellent race at Naas and has come out of that very well,” said Condon.
“Running 23 days after he did in Australia is testament to the horse. We’ve been very pleased with him since. His work has been good and he’s been moving well.
“He has run in this race in the past and picked up some prize-money, so all things being equal we’d be keen to run him.
“Hopefully he will pick up some prize-money and run a decent race. He normally does. It’s a smallish field, so we’ll let him take his chance.”
