Giselle out to make winning start in Group company but Cercene a big danger for Joe Murphy

Aidan O'Brien landed the mile Group 3 Staffordstown Stud Stakes with subsequent Group 1 winner Content last season (his sixth victory in the race in the last ten years) and hopes will be high the well-regarded Giselle can follow a similar path.

The Frankel filly, who will be hotly fancied to take the step up in class in her stride, arguably shaped best when runner-up on her debut to Bedtime Story, who put up a memorable display at Royal Ascot next time out when blasting nine and a half lengths clear in the Chesham Stakes, and has since landed Group 3 and Group 2 races.

She was the pick of Ryan Moore that day and was quite severely hampered turning for home, which curbed her momentum. She did well in the circumstances to finish a length and a quarter behind the winner.

She got off the mark in straightforward fashion over 7f earlier this month, putting the race to bed with a nice turn of foot having been keen early on, which was understandable given she was coming in off a 121-day break and had no cover from stall 17.

The step up to a mile will be no issue and she will be tough to beat, with soft ground the only unknown given the ability is definitely there.

Cercene has shown plenty of promise for Joe Murphy in two starts, flying home to be third on her debut at Gowran Park before producing a thunderous turn of foot in the final furlong at Naas to run out an impressive winner.

The step up to a mile could elicit substantial improvement, given how hard she has hit the line twice over 7f, and her half-brother Perotto handled soft ground fine. She's Giselle's biggest danger and is a nice each-way avenue into the race at 11-2.

Of O'Brien's other contenders, Island Hopping needed every yard of this trip to get up at Gowran Park last time and seems to be learning with each start, while Whirl was quite impressive at Doncaster last month and seems a very straightforward type who should be thereabouts. Mint Candy got off the mark at the fourth attempt at Thurles but is probably a shade below the level of some of her stablemates.

Celtic Motif is a definite player for Joseph O'Brien based on her third in the Goffs Million. The ground is a question mark but she's bred to appreciate this trip.

Tamam Desert is better served than most to cope with the ground, given she showed an excellent attitude to win on yielding at Galway last month. The form of that race has worked out okay and she shaped as if she would improve plenty for the step up to a mile, so she can't be discounted for Eoghan O'Neill.

Going update

The ground was soft, yielding to soft late on Monday after 8mm of rain since entries, with the possibility of a further 5-10mm before racing.

What they say

Joseph O'Brien, trainer of And So To Bed and Celtic Motif
Celtic Motif had a great run when third in the Goffs Million. The ground will be softer here but it'd be great if she could get some black type. And So To Bed has been running consistently well all year and will enjoy the step up to a mile. She should handle the ground and hopefully can also pick up some black type.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of Giselle, Island Hopping, Whirl and Mint Candy
Giselle is in good form and we were happy with her the last day. She's ready to run again and we're keen to get a run into her to educate her a bit. She's stepping up to a mile, so we'll learn a lot more about her. Island Hopping is a genuine, tough filly who seems to stay well. We think going up to a mile will suit Whirl and we don't think she will mind an ease in the ground. Mint Candy stays well and is a filly who we think will get middle distances next year.