'He will be a force to be reckoned with in Group 1 company' - five horses to follow for the Irish Flat season

The Irish Flat season kicks off on Monday at the Curragh and Irish tipster and reporter Conor Fennelly selects five horses to follow:

A Lilac Rolla

Paddy Twomey unleashed a couple of hugely talented prospects last season and I was really taken by the unbeaten A Lilac Rolla.

The Harry Angel filly recorded a useful time when quickening two lengths clear in a Cork maiden over 6f in July and the form has been advertised well in the interim.

She took a step up to 7f on her next start at the Curragh and travelled with real verve near the head of affairs before displaying an excellent attitude to get up in the dying strides by a head.

A Lilac Rolla (right): capable of making her mark at the top levelCredit: Patrick McCann

The filly she edged out on the line was the Aidan O'Brien-trained Opera Singer, who landed a Group 3 on her next start by six and half lengths before putting in another imperious display in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac, and is the clear ante-post favourite for the Qipco 1,000 Guineas.

The third that day, Red Viburnum from the Dermot Weld stable, was well touted beforehand and acquitted herself well when fifth in the Moyglare Stakes on her next start. That clearly looks a race to follow and Twomey's filly seems to have real star quality.

Whether her stamina will allow her to stretch out to a mile remains an unknown, but she is well capable of making her mark at the top level in the coming months.

Al Riffa

The Joseph O'Brien-trained Al Riffa was a classy winner of the Group 1 National Stakes as a two-year-old and could make up for lost time after suffering plenty of misfortune last season.

The son of Wootton Bassett was fancied for the Irish 2,000 Guineas but suffered a setback in his prep, which meant we didn't see him on the track until July, when he was third to Mashhoor in the International Stakes at the Curragh.

Al Riffa: finished second to subsequent Arc winner Ace Impact at Deauville Credit: Caroline Norris

He came forward markedly from that run in the Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville, where he was an excellent second to the subsequent Arc winner Ace Impact, and was unlucky not to get closer. Ridden by Christophe Soumillon, Al Riffa seemed to be coming with a potent challenge but was tight for room inside the final furlong between the winner and Birr Castle before running on strongly to get within three-quarters of a length of Ace Impact.

That was a top-class effort and he's had only had five starts in his career, so will be a force to be reckoned with in Group 1 company from 1m2f to 1m4f this season.

Content

Content might be lower down than the likes of Opera Singer and Ylang Ylang in the pecking order for three-year-old fillies at Ballydoyle, but she progressed rapidly from her juvenile campaign and there could be plenty more to come.

She is impeccably bred, being by Galileo out of dual Nunthorpe Stakes winner Mecca's Angel, and was highly tried as a two-year-old when running seven times and winning twice. 

After getting off the mark at the third attempt over 7f at Leopardstown in August, she finished a gallant second in Listed company behind Kitty Rose at the same track after setting strong fractions in front, before disappointing when finishing sixth of seven at Group 3 level at the Curragh having been too keen in testing ground.

Content: her 25-1 odds for the 1,000 Guineas look big Credit: Caroline Norris

Many thought soft ground was the main contributor to that below-par performance, but she flourished in similar conditions when stepped up to a mile in the Staffordstown Stud Stakes. Ridden with more restraint, she proved a different proposition, travelling powerfully before unleashing a thunderous turn of foot to win by two and a half lengths, reversing the form with runner-up Kitty Rose.

On her final start of the season, she contested the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and ran a remarkable race to finish fourth. Ryan Moore had to sit and suffer in the early skirmishes in rear on the inside and had only one rival behind turning for home, but once she saw daylight, she flew home to only be beaten a length, while she was the only filly from the rear to make any inroads on the front pack.

She shaped like the best filly in that race, will stay at least 1m2f and is battle-hardened, given the experience she has going into her three-year-old campaign. Her 25-1 odds for the 1,000 Guineas look big.

Grosvenor Square

Grosvenor Square put in a powerful display in the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes on his final start of last season and seems to have all the hallmarks of a Derby contender.

He has the pedigree, being by Galileo, and is also a half-brother to Irish Derby winner Santiago. The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt got off the mark in a 1m½f maiden at Galway in September before finishing third behind Deepone in the Beresford Stakes at the Curragh.

Grosvenor Square (left): has a huge engine and is bred to stayCredit: Patrick McCann

That assignment may have come a bit soon for him, given it was only 11 days after his Galway success, while he still didn't look the finished article. He took a slight step up in trip to 1m1f a month later at Leopardstown and ran out an authoritative winner in defeating Cambridge by a wide margin, while he also produced a strong time figure.

Whether he can replicate that form on faster ground is a question mark, but he undoubtedly has a huge engine and is bred to stay much further.

White Birch

White Birch proved a revelation last season for the John Murphy stable and he appeals as the type who will make a classy four-year-old.

The talented grey was a surprising winner of the Group 3 Ballysax on his first start of the season on heavy ground and followed that up with another huge effort when second to The Foxes in the Dante.

White Birch: will almost certainly stay further than 1m4f Credit: CAROLINE NORRIS

His run in the Derby was a top-class effort, given he got edgy beforehand, and found himself with plenty to do in the straight in a race not run at a frantic gallop. He was still last at the three-furlong pole but showed a potent turn of foot in the closing stages to finish third in a strong race given the subsequent exploits of Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel.

The Ulysses colt put in a below-par effort in the Irish Derby but was hampered by stricken San Antonio and came back to form after two months later when fourth in Group 3 company at Leopardstown.

He showed his versatility with regards to ground in his three-year-old campaign, will almost certainly stay further than 1m4f and could be more of the finished article this season.

Read more:

What's on this week: Irish Lincolnshire whets the appetite before Saturday's Lincoln at Doncaster as the Flat season returns  

Six horses who can play a starring role at the Fairyhouse, Aintree and Punchestown festivals 

Sign up to receive On The Nose, our essential daily newsletter, from the Racing Post. Your unmissable morning feed, direct to your email inbox every morning.