'We think he has come forward nicely' - Battaash's brother The Antarctic bids to bounce back from defeat

This Group 3 has become recognised as one of the key Commonwealth Cup trials since the three-year-old sprint was introduced into the Royal Ascot programme back in 2015 and Caravaggio did the double in 2017.

The Antarctic, who runs in the Caravaggio silks of Sue Magnier, was touted as a Commonwealth Cup contender by Aidan O'Brien in his stable tour at the beginning of the season and was 4-5 to make a winning start to his three-year-old campaign in the Listed Committed Stakes at Navan last month.

Punters had their fingers burnt there, though, as Battaash's brother could only finish third to impressive six-length winner Ocean Quest, and that race is the key form line for this with the first, third and fourth renewing rivalry.

Ocean Quest was a revelation at Navan. She had posted Racing Post Ratings of 88 and 99 at two, but improved to earn an RPR of 110 with a smart turn of foot on ground that was extremely testing.

She is a daughter of Sioux Nation, who won this race in 2018, but she has very different ground conditions to contend with compared to the heavy surface she raced on at Navan. Trainer Jessica Harrington thinks she will be even happier on this quicker surface and, if she’s right, Ocean Quest can win again.

Despite beating The Antarctic by nearly seven lengths and Shartash by 21 lengths, she remains the lowest-rated of the three with a mark of 107.

Unsurprisingly, The Antarctic is the highest-rated runner in the race with a mark of 112 given he chased home stablemate Blackbeard in last year's Middle Park.

Despite his disappointing Navan effort, he could still be sent off favourite and, if so, it will be the seventh year in a row that O'Brien has supplied the market leader.

Caravaggio (2017), Sioux Nation and So Perfect (2019) all justified their spot at the head of the market, but Washington DC (2016), Call Me Teddy (2021) and New York City (2022) were all beaten favourites for Ballydoyle.

Last year's Railway Stakes winner Shartash seemed to detest conditions at Navan when only fourth. Expect him to be a very different colt here on less gruelling ground.

Mauiewowie is very fast and impressed on her debut at this track last July. In her reappearance in a Listed contest at Cork, she proved she retains all of her juvenile ability in finishing second. However, this may boil down to the three who clashed at Navan with perhaps The Antarctic getting his revenge.

What they say

Johnny Murtagh, trainer of Shartash
He's very well in himself and I just hope he can put that disappointing run at Navan behind him. Ben [Coen] said he was never happy at any stage. He never travelled and he never got into the race. He just didn't enjoy the ground there at all. He's been very good at home since then and we need to see the real Shartash showing up here.

Johnny Murtagh: "We need to see the real Shartash showing up here"Credit: Patrick McCann

John O'Donoghue, trainer of Song For Whoever
He did it as well as you would have liked at Dundalk. He did it in a manner that suggested there was a little bit more left in the tank and we're looking forward to seeing what he is like on turf.

Aidan O'Brien, trainer of The Antarctic
He needed the run at Navan and we think he has come forward nicely for it at home. Everyone seems to be very happy with him.

Jack Davison, trainer of Thunderbear
He was very good at Nottingham, it almost looked like he had jumped in at the furlong pole. I've always thought he was a very nice horse and we're looking forward to introducing him into Pattern company. This is different gravy from what he ran in at Nottingham, though.

Donnacha O'Brien, trainer of Badb
She works like a better filly than what her runs have shown. I think the nice ground will suit and hopefully she should run a decent race.

Jessica Harrington, trainer of Ocean Quest
It's obviously a change in ground from what she encountered at Navan, but I actually think she will be even better on better ground because she's a lovely light mover. She's had plenty of time to recover from Navan and seems to be in great form.

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