The best older horse in Ireland? Cox Plate hero State Of Rest chases Ganay glory

Sunday: 3.25 LongchampPrix Ganay (Group 1) | 4yo+ | 1m2½f | SKY

Who was the best three-year-old trained in Ireland last year behind the now-retired pair of St Mark's Basilica and Poetic Flare?

Congratulations if your answer was State Of Rest, whose most recent performance on home soil was a comeback third in the Listed Celebration Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend.

Since then Joseph O'Brien has earned two huge foreign paydays for his owners as the son of Starspangledbanner picked up the Group 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational before downing Australia's two best weight-for-age performers, Anamoe and Verry Elleegant in the Cox Plate.

If the southern hemisphere weights-and-measures experts are correct then he heads to a select Prix Ganay with arguably the best form.

State Of Rest will be the only runner making his seasonal debut, while it would be difficult to find more contrasting layouts than the left-handed tourniquet of Moonee Valley and the wide-open right sweep of Longchamp.

By contrast Skalleti is very much in his favourite playground and if Maxime Guyon can keep him in touch on what is likely to be faster going than he would like, his turn of foot will be hard to resist.

Sealiway and Mare Australis don't have too much to find with Skalleti on their meeting in the Prix d'Harcourt on what was in effect a comeback run for both horses [Sealiway's trip to Riyadh was short lived and can be ignored].

Mare Australis was back off an 11 month layoff and ran the same race to the pound as when beaten in last year's renewal, after which he made all in a Skalleti-less Ganay.

Sealiway also wants a strong pace to run and arguably the Prince of Wales's Stakes back at Ascot will provide his optimum test.

Pretty Tiger has been in the headlines this week for an enforced change of yards from banned Fabrice Vermeulen to Pia Brandt and probably needs to find upwards of 5lb from his win in the Prix Exbury.

Long distance runner Skalleti ready to roll again

At the start of the week Jerome Reynier was warning that the ultra-consistent and classy Skalleti might not make the trip on account of the lack of rain.

But the seven-year-old has clearly given him all the signs that he is ready for his next Group 1 assignment, having out-sprinted Sealiway and Mare Australis from his habitual stalking position in the Prix d'Harcourt three weeks ago.

Reynier said: "His optimum conditions are when the ground is soft but he won the Prix d'Ispahan on pretty quick ground and I think they covered the last three furlongs in 32 seconds."

12 months ago Skalleti was given the same preparation in the Exbury and the Harcourt, before Reynier elected not to take in the Ganay, in part at least because of the travel up and down from his base in Calas near Marseille.

"I think he's in the same physical condition as before the Harcourt and the question is more over how he takes three races - and 4,500 km by road - in the space of six weeks," added Reynier.

"We chose to avoid that last year and it is only because he is in top form that we are trying this time."

What they say

Andre Fabre, trainer of Mare Australis
I was delighted with his run in the Prix d’Harcourt and he took his race very well. The extra distance will suit him so he’s going to run well. He is a stronger horse than last year. Better, it's hard to say but stronger for sure.

Pia Brandt, co-trainer of Pretty Tiger
He's only been with me a few days and he did all of his serious work with Vermeulen. We've just kept him ticking over but he gives all the signs of being a good horse. He's up against the best horses in France over 2,000 metres so we will see if we can grab a piece of the pie.

Sealiway (left) overcomes Dubai Honour in the Qipco Champion StakesCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Francis Graffard, trainer of Sealiway
I have him a lot better than he was ahead of the Prix d'Harcourt. I think he really needed the run. We’ve put a pacemaker in there to ensure it doesn’t turn into a false race and everything is in place for a good run.

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of State Of Rest
He's wintered well and I've had this race in mind for a little while. We've been very pleased with his preparation. Obviously it's a very competitive race, meeting the best in France but all that said, we're hoping for a big run. Hopefully he can get a share of the prize-money.

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