St Marks Basilica Preying on Champion

Unbeaten this season and on a four-run winning streak at Group 1 level in France and the UK, imposing 3YO colt St Marks Basilica (Siyouni-Cabaret, by Galileo) looms as the sole representative of the powerful Aidan O'Brien yard in Saturday week's Gr1 Irish Champion Stakes, reports racingpost.com. Blessed with both the ability to relax and accelerate quickly, which O'Brien calls a "weapon that is seriously hard to find in any horse", St Marks Basilica will likely once again match-up against key Gosden-trained rival Mishriff (Make Believe-Contradict, by Raven's Pass) in the Irish Champion, after bettering him at his last showing in the Gr1 Coral Eclipse at Sandown in July. Although suffering a slight setback via a cut to his near-fore hind joint which ruled the young Siyouni entire out of the Gr1 Juddmonte, O'Brien is confident of no long-lasting effects, saying, "We got him back going as soon as we could and got him back into full work, and so far everything looks good." He added, "It [the injury] happened before the Juddmonte so he had his few days off, and it was kind of like he had a run and just started building back up for [The Irish Champion Stakes at] Leopardstown after that." The characteristically quotable O'Brien summed up St Marks Basilica's looks and rare talent: "He has all that genuineness from Galileo. You can see it in him, he runs with his head out and down. He gets his speed from Siyouni and Pivotal. He goes along in a race and wastes no energy. He's just waiting on you to ask him and then he has this explosive turn of foot when you do ask him."