THE August Summer Saturday meetings at the Curragh are classy cards in their own right, but timing can lead to them having a trial feel as horses, especially older horses, are building towards the Irish Champions Festival and some other autumn features.

That was the case this past Saturday in the two Group 3s, both run at slow places with lowly-rated horses involved at the finish, a 93-rated horse winning the Irish St. Leger Trial and an 80 horse, sent off 300/1, finishing second in the Royal Whip. The Royal Whip is a traditional restarting point for Ballydoyle runners and so it proved with Los Angeles this year, Aidan O’Brien at pains to say the run was needed beforehand, though surprisingly the market was positive about his chances.