Noble Mission, a full brother to undefeated champion Frankel, looks for his group I breakthrough against Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) winner Magician in the Tattersalls Gold Cup May 25 at the Curragh.
Trainer Jane Cecil believes 5-year-old Noble Mission is ready to step up since posting consecutive wins in the Betfair 365 Gordon Richards Stakes April 25 at Sandown and the Betfair Price Rush Huxley Stakes May 8 at Chester, both group III events. Noble Mission finished second by a neck in his 2014 bow in the John Porter Stakes (Eng-III) April 12. He was supplemented last week to the Gold Cup and is the 2-1 second choice with bookmakers Paddy Power.
"Noble Mission has made an excellent start to the season," Lady Cecil, widow of legendary trainer Sir Henry Cecil, said on her website, www.warrenplacestables.com. "We felt he had done very well through the winter and we've been delighted with how he has performed so far in 2014.
"He has earned the right to contest a group I, hence the decision to supplement for the Tattersalls Gold Cup. The likelihood of there being some ease in the ground came into our thinking, although he seems to go on any ground. "We've been happy with him since Chester and feel he is capable of once again being very competitive, stepped up to group I company."
Magician won last year's Irish Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) but subsequently flopped at Royal Ascot, finishing last in the St. James's Palace Stakes (Eng-I) last June. Without a start heading into the Breeders' Cup Turf, he closed from the near the back of the field and won at 12-1 odds, defeating favorite The Fugue by a half-length Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.
The son of Galileo finished a creditable sixth behind Gentildonna in the Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-I) March 29 in his first start of 2014. In lieu of a racecourse gallop, he was started in the May 5 High Chapparal E.B.F. Mooresbridge Stakes (Ire-II) at the Curragh and won by a neck from Parish Hall (14-1), who reopposes Sunday.
"He was supposed to work at the Curragh but we let him run instead," trainer Aidan O'Brien told Sky Sports about Magician, who is pegged as the 4-6 Gold Cup favorite."He was literally ready to run."
Tattersalls Gold Cup (Ire-I), 4-year-olds and older, abt. 1 1/4 miles, turf
No. PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1 1 Cardinal Palace, S. Foley, 129, J. J. Murphy
2 7 Einsteins Folly, R. P. Whelan, 129, J. Bolger
3 4 Hall of Mirrors, J. A. Heffernan, 129, A. O'Brien
4 5 Magician, J. P. O'Brien, 129, A. O'Brien
5 3 Noble Mission, J. Doyle,129, J. Cecil
6 8 Parish Hall, K. Manning,129, J. Bolger
7 2 Along Came Casey, P. J. Smullen, 126, D. Weld
8 6 Euphrasia, G. F. Carroll, 126, J. G. Murphy
