DUAL Derby winner Camelot and Dewhurst Stakes winner Parish Hall are set for a mouth watering clash in the Group Three High Chaparral Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh on Monday, 6th May. The Bank Holiday fixture also stages the Group Three Canford Cliffs EBF Athasi Stakes in which Lilly’s Angel will bid to follow up her recent Kempton Listed success.
Camelot proved a real star last season when landing the Qipco 2000 Guineas, the Investec Derby and the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby. Trainer Aidan O’Brien reported that the son of Montjeu has wintered well and is in good shape for his comeback run. “Camelot is raring to go and has been working well,” commented O’Brien. “It has always been the plan to bring him back for this race and hopefully he will get a bit of decent ground.” There are 16 entries after forfeits for this race and O’Brien is responsible for nine of them.
Parish Hall, off the course since landing a gutsy success in the Group One Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket in October 2011, showed that all his ability remains when making a winning return in the Irish Open Alleged Stakes over this course and distance earlier this month. Trainer Jim Bolger nominated this race after that victory and the plan remains the same.
“Parish Hall has come out of his come back race really well and I could not be happier with him,” revealed Jim Bolger. “He is in really good form and would have needed that race. He has come on for the outing and plan remains to run him in the Mooresbridge Stakes.”
Lilly’s Angel is among 32 entries after forfeits for the Group Three Canford Cliffs EBF Athasi Stakes along with recent Leopardstown Group Three winner Rawaaq. The latter is trained by Dermot Weld, who also has the promising Big Break in the race. Aidan O’Brien has nine entries, while there are four from Britain in Dutch Rose, I’m So Glad, Switcher and Moonstone Magic. Entries and supplementary entries close for both races at 12 noon on Wednesday, 1st May.