NAP of the Day: Keep with Kyprios to confirm himself the champion

There is a feast of action on Sunday with top-class racing in Britain, Ireland and France for punters to savour. Doncaster’s meeting has Premier status and there are Group 1s on the cards at Curragh and Longchamp. The feature at the Curragh is the Irish St Leger (16:45), run over a gruelling trip of 1m6f, and it will take a top-class performance to win it. 

In Britain there are two other meetings from Musselburgh and Bath and it’s Arc trials day at Longchamp on a bumper afternoon. Our Sunday NAP comes from the big race at the Curragh, where it appears to be worth keeping faith with the champion stayer now that he comes up against his stiffest task of the season. 

Kyprios developed into the outstanding stayer of his generation when putting together six wins in a row in the 2022 season, but he had his problems last year and made it to the track only twice. He was beaten on both occasions, including when second in this race 12 months ago. 

That led many to question whether he retained his ability after injury, but he has dispelled any doubts about that by returning right back to his best this season with some scintillating displays. 

The six-year-old won his first two starts at Navan and Leopardstown at short odds and has gone from strength to strength since being upped to the top grade on his last two outings this season. 

Kyprios landed the Gold Cup for a second time at Royal Ascot in June and comfortably reversed the places with Trawlerman, who had beaten him at the track on Champions Day last season. 

The selection confirmed he is back at the top of his game when running away with the Goodwood Cup by four lengths in an outstanding display last time. The runner-up was Sweet William, who franked the form by winning the Doncaster Cup on Friday, and that looks like a rock-solid effort.  

A reproduction of that form will almost certainly be good enough for Kyprios to win this race, although this is a stiffer test against stronger opposition including Giavellotto, who has progressed into a top-class performer himself this season. 

Nevertheless, he simply isn't in the same class as Kyprios if he turns up on the top of his game and there has to be every chance that he will do so once again. 

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