Wednesday 25 July 2018 13:12, UK
Goddess is the star attraction in the Jockey Club Of Turkey Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday.
A daughter of Camelot out of a half-sister to Galileo in Cherry Hinton, Aidan O'Brien's filly stepped up massively from her Curragh debut when registering a hugely impressive 10-length victory over this course and distance a fortnight ago.
That display saw her promoted to ante-post favouritism with some bookmakers for next season's 1000 Guineas and her Classic credentials will be given a thorough examination in this Group Three contest.
O'Brien also saddles Naas maiden winner Secret Thoughts, while his son Joseph is represented by narrow Fairyhouse victor Vallambrosa.
Setting the standard on form is the Patrick Prendergast-trained Skitter Scatter, who was touched off by Aidan O'Brien's So Perfect in the Group Three Grangecon Stud Stakes at the Curragh earlier this month.
Prendergast said: "You'd be worried about Goddess and one or two others, but Skitter Scatter is very well and we're looking forward to running her.
"She's improving with her racing and I would expect her to run her usual, solid race.
"She had to do the donkey work over six furlongs the last day and saw it out well. Stepping her up to seven was something we had to do.
"She has a likeable attitude and it's nice that every time you go to the races with her, you're as confident as you can be that she'll run well."
Henry de Bromhead's Chicago May, the Ger Lyons-trained Moravia and Sparkle'n'joy from Jessica Harrington's yard are the other hopefuls.
Group Three honours are also up for grabs in the Japan Racing Association Tyros Stakes.
Aidan O'Brien has claimed this prize on a record 11 occasions, including in each of the last four years.
Rip Van Winkle (2008), Gleneagles (2014) and Churchill (2016) are among the former Ballydoyle-trained winners and this year the all-conquering team rely on runaway Killarney winner Anthony Van Dyck.
The son of Galileo faces just four rivals, with Jim Bolger's pair of Bold Approach and Copia Verborum joined by the Lyons-trained Invasion Day and James Nash's Hammersmith.
Later in the evening, a field of nine runners is set to go to post for the Kingdom Of Bahrain Vinnie Roe Stakes, a Listed event run over a mile and three-quarters.
Likely contenders include O'Brien's pair of Cyprus Creek and and Sizzling, Bolger's Stanerra Stakes winner Cimeara and Night Of Power, who is on a hat-trick for John Oxx.
