IT’S hard to remember many more eyecatching two-year-old debuts in recent years than what The Publican’s Son produced on his Curragh bow four weeks ago, and today a major acid test lies in store against Godolphin’s tried-and-tested Wise Approach in the Group 1 Tattersalls Middle Park Stakes (3.00).

For all that it didn’t look the deepest running of the Group 3 Round Tower Stakes - and the winner and fifth have disappointed since - a Timeform rating of 101 represented the top rating assigned to any juvenile on debut in Ireland this season. Challenging from off the pace against vastly experienced rivals, Joseph O’Brien’s $200,000 breeze-up buy from Ocala is worthy of a shot at the big time on that evidence, even if he is a maiden.

His mettle is sure to be tested, however. Wise Approach finished second to Charles Darwin in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot and was last seen getting within half a length of Venetian Sun in third in the Prix Morny at Deauville just under five weeks ago. National Stakes second Gstaad split that pair, giving real top-level substance to the form.

“The Publican’s Son had a really nice debut at the Curragh in hot company a few weeks ago,” Joseph O’Brien told race sponsors Tattersalls.

“He has prepared well since then and it makes sense to give him a shot in a race like this. He has come forward since his debut and we are hoping for a good run.”

’Worthy favourite’

As for short-priced favourite Wise Approach (officially rated 114), trainer Charlie Appleby said: “He’s done well since the Morny, and his run there looks a good, solid piece of form. It looks as though he will get quick ground, although the Rowley Mile might be a slight question mark.

“He is a very slick-moving horse and I have always felt that level tracks suit him. He has his conditions underfoot and we are hoping that he can handle the course. He goes into the race in great order and his Morny form makes him a worthy favourite.”

Since Believing’s win in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in early April, it’s been a slightly slower season than usual on the feature-race front for the highly capable George Boughey team, with Rosy Affair’s victory at Deauville last month their only other group winner of the campaign.

The trainer would surely relish the chance to strike with impressive back-to-back Windsor winner Hilitany in the Middle Park and told the sponsors: “He’s nearly a perfect three from three so far in his career and he really stepped up his form when winning at Windsor under a penalty.

“Obviously, he is stepping up from a novice under a penalty into a Group 1 and in a year where it looks quite open, we’re more than happy to take our chance. He is a forward-going animal who likes to be on the front end and Newmarket is a track that obviously suits horses that go forward. He comes into this in as a good a shape as we can have him.”

Exciting Echo

Boughey also supplies the favourite for today’s Group 2 Tattersalls Online Royal Lodge Stakes (1.50) in the shape of unbeaten listed winner Bow Echo. He takes on seven rivals, including smart Ballydoyle duo Action (Galway Festival maiden winner) and Daytona (Naas listed winner before a Deauville Group 3 third).

“Bow Echo’s work has been good since Haydock three weeks ago; he’s a horse that’s never taken a huge amount of work to get to race fit and we’ve really just been ticking him over since,” said Boughey.

“The one piece of work he did was on the Rowley Mile and it was as impressive a piece of work as we’ve had from a two-year-old so it was nice to get some match practice, and he couldn’t be in much better shape ahead of his first run in a Group 2. That would do him for the year and he’s the sort of horse if he can take the step up in grade, the natural step is to work back from the Guineas next year.”