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Alpha Centauri Excites O'Donoghue

Sat 9th Sep 2017, 12:30

Alpha Centauri and Colm O'DonoghueAlpha Centauri and Colm O'Donoghue
© Photo Healy Racing

Colm O'Donoghue is excited at the prospect of teaming up with Alpha Centauri in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.

The daughter of Mastercraftsman, owned by the Niarchos family, has been saved for this race since being touched off by Different League in the Albany Stakes.

The Jessica Harrington-trained youngster had won her first two races, but she lost nothing in defeat at Royal Ascot.

"She's a great filly and I'm really looking forward to the race," said the jockey.

"She ran a terrific race in the Albany. She did nothing wrong, she was just beaten by another very good filly.

"The winner has franked the form by running well against colts in the Prix Morny so you couldn't say it was a bad run.

"Our filly is in great form at home and it will be a fantastic race."

Aidan O'Brien has five of the 10 runners as he attempts to land this prize for an eighth time.

"They are all kind of owned by different people, we have all the owners (involved) so that's why they are all running," said O'Brien.

Clemmie, a full-sister to Churchill was only seventh in the Albany but has since gone on to boost her reputation with wins in the Group Three Grangecon Stakes at the Curragh and the Group Two Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at Newmarket.

"Clemmie is in good form and the better the ground the better it will suit her," O'Brien said.

Three of O'Brien's hopefuls - Magical, Happily and September - were first, second and fourth respectively in the Debutante Stakes over this same course and distance three weeks ago.

"The fillies that ran in the Debutante all seem to be fine and came out of their races well," said O'Brien.

"They haven't done much as it hasn't been that long since then, but they all seem to be in good form."

Ballet Shoes, second over a mile to Liquid Amber at the Curragh last time, completes the O'Brien quintet.

The Ballydoyle handler said: "Ballet Shoes came out of her race well and seems to be in good form also."