I’M beginning to feel a bit sorry for the Ballydoyle females! They might have rights to complain, having been sent to war to fight their own battles with few comrades in arms.

Last weekend, Precise was sent to France to contest the Prix Rothschild, with no stable companion. This weekend, True Love heads off on her own to the Prix Maurice de Gheest. Diamond Necklace had just one pacemaker in the French 1000 Guineas and the Prix de Diane.

It’s of course in contrast to the colts. Gstaad having two stable companions in the Sussex Stakes, to make the pace or, as had been debated in many quarters, to perhaps take up space to inconvenience some of his rivals. Puerto Rico’s effort got plenty of attention and enquiry time after the St James’s Palace and here he was again, and now with Dorset in a more pace-making role. Bow Echo’s win deflected much of the attention, as he was swift enough to get out from Puerto Rico’s attentions. Christophe Soumillon’s mount and Dorset finished 11th and 12th, in the final two positions.

Benvenuto Cellini also had help, Action, Minnie Hauk and Lambourn to join him in the King George, with the first two making the pace.

Earlier in the season, Constitution River also had Hawk Mountain and Montreal for company in the Prix du Jockey Club. This time though, each finished in prominent positions.

Done very well

Aidan O’Brien’s pre-season comments on the media morning on Puerto Rico were…

“He’s being trained for the Guineas with Albert Einstein and Gstaad… He’s obviously a very good horse and physically has done very well.

“He’s scopey and strong; his mind has gone the right way. He could be anything. I thought of all the horses who could race and travel, he could be the one who could go through the season and do a lot more. He’s could go to all the Group 1s. I have it in my head that he could be a miler and take on the older milers.”

He’s obviously fallen well short of the “could go through the season and do a lot more” expectation, even if he got plenty of press coverage around Royal Ascot!

Dorset’s two-year-old campaign suggested he could be a nice three-year-old, but his six runs so far - 789400 - are on a downward cycle, though two were in Group 1 company.

In the pre-season briefings, his trainer said: “He’ll have a Derby prep and could be a French Derby horse.”

Action also went on the Derby trail - described as a “looks an Epsom type” in the pre-season media days, but is now in a pacemaker role.

Irish Oaks

It was also noted in some quarters on the latter stages of the Irish Oaks where four Ballydoyle fillies - Beautify, 28/1, Cameo, 25/1, Composing, 66/1 and Sugar Island 20/1 - ended up filling the last four places, but were in positions to make it difficult for better-fancied runners, two from Britain in Inis Mor and Earth Shot, as well as Sparan Nua, to get into space to challenge at key times in the early straight.

No one can dispute that well-bred fillies chasing some blacktype should not be among the classic runners, but, is it a detriment to attracting overseas runners, especially for Leopardstown’s big day?

As we approach two of the biggest races of the season, the Juddmonte at York and the Irish Champions Stakes, generally two of the highest-rated races in the world, how the supporting cast measures up will soon be known.

There are seven Ballydoyle runners in the Juddmonte International at the moment, with presumably a pacemaker and perhaps Causeway and Hawk Mountain having claims to line up.

The Godolphin pacemaker was the talking horse at York last year and aided the winner Ombudsman. The Irish Champions Stakes then brought the John Gosden comment re Ombudsman’s non-participation: “Obviously, it would not be in the best interests of Ombudsman to race in September nor would the horse appreciate running against multiple entries from one stable on a track with a short straight.”

With a few weeks to go, and some last minute scares about Ombudsman for York, it will be interesting to see how the two Group 1 races fare out with overseas challengers for Irish Champions Weekend at Leopardstown.

Wall Street swaps sides

ONE old cryptic quiz question was “What great sporting occasion began on Wall Street?” The answer being, Frankie Dettori going through the card for a seven-timer at Ascot back in 1996.

His first winner was in the Godolphin blue and, of course, the first winner at Leopardstown on Thursday resurrected the name with an impressive two-year-old debut success.