Vincent O'Brien National Stakes Guide 2021

Point Lonsdale, for 11 time race winner Aidan O'Brien, has leading claims in the Group 1, having gone unbeaten in four career starts.

The 2yo son of Australia has stepped up and improved with each run to land Listed, Group 3 and Group 2 contest in his last 3 starts, the latter being a 4.25 length dismantling of his rivals over C&D.

He now makes the first time step up into a Group 1 and its hard to look past him asserting himself as a short priced favourite for the contest.

Charlie Appleby has trained 2 of the last 3 winners of this race and, again, brings forward a strong challenger for the Group 1 affair.

Native Trail, a son of Oasis Dream, is unbeaten in 2 start to date, stepping up from an impressive 4 length debut win at Sandown, to land the Group 2 Superlative stakes last time out by a shoulder on fast ground.

He's entitled to improve again and is expected to be more than competitive at this level.

He is however untested on ground softer than good so that may pose problems, should the rain come down, having looked well suited to the fast conditions encountered last time out.

British raider, Ebro River, represents Hugo Palmer in the race and is a proven performer at Group 1 level having landed the Phoenix Stakes over 6f at the track, last time out.

The son of Galileo Gold won going away in that race, keeping on well at the line, indicating he is well worth a shot at the extended 7f trip.

James Doyle, who has won on him in a listed sprint contest in the past, flies over to ride, and if improving for the step up to 7f, may pose some a threat.

Dermot Weld is in great form of late, with a 22% strike rate across the last 14 days; he teams up with the similarly in form Colin Keane aboard Duke De Sessa on the hunt for his 6th winner in this contest.

The son of Lope De Vega was 3rd on debut, however improved to land a maiden next time out by an impressive 4.75 length margin.

It's impossible to tell where her ceiling lies and she may be up for being competitive at Group level.

This step up to Group 1 level however is a giant leap and may just find her out.

British raider Michael Bell runs son of Wooton Basset, Great Max, in the Vincent O'Brien National Stakes.

The 2yo colt has been equipped with red hot rider Rossa Ryan for the contest and comes to France on the back of a Group 3 runner up finish in the Solario Stakes, albeit a 4 length loss.

The runner has faced off with Point Lonsdale in the past, in a listed race in June, and was beaten 3.5 lengths that day.

The runner again looks to be up against it, taking him on in Group 1 company.

Ultramarine made a fair step up last time out to finish 4th at 25/1 odds in a Group 3 here at the Curragh over 6f last time out.

Joseph O'Brien's entrant teams up with the in-form Shane Crosse for the contest and steps up to 7f for the first time here, having kept on in the final furlong at 6.

Having said this, the jump to a Group 1 appears to have come too soon and he now looks outclassed at this level based on past form.

Anatoil won by a neck margin on debut last time out at Dundalk on the all weather, making him 1 from 1 in his single race career.

Trainer John James Feane is in impressive form of late with a 38% strike rate across the last 14 days however his colt takes a massive rise in class to be competitive here.

Looks to be well out of his depth.