Janood facing O'Brien quartet in National Stakes at the Curragh

Godolphin’s undefeated Janood runs into a phalanx of four Coolmore rivals in the Group 1, $254,000 Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

A Medicean 2-year-old, Janood improved to win Newbury’s listed Washington Singer Stakes over the same seven furlongs on Aug. 14 but is taking a major step up in class here and will be ridden for the first time by Alan Munro, as Frankie Dettori will be at Doncaster riding Rewilding in the St. Leger.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Zoffany’s victories in the seven-furlong, Group 3 Tyros Stakes and the six-furlong, Group 1 Phoenix Stakes make that Dansili colt the 5-2 favorite, with Samuel Morse, Rudolf Valentino, and High Ruler lending their stablemate support. The one they all have to fear is the Jessica Harrington-trained Pathfork. A son of Distorted Humor, he made it 2 for 2 by winning the Group 2 Futurity Stakes over the National course and distance on Aug. 21.

Profound Beauty will use the Group 1, $305,000 Irish St. Leger as her final prep for the Melbourne Cup. A 6-year-old daughter of Danehill trained by Dermot Weld for Moyglare Stud, she is coming off a handy three-length score in the 1 1/2-mile, Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes and has won five times at the Irish St. Leger distance of 1 3/4 miles. Pat Smullen will ride.

Sans Frontieres could upset her. He was the winner of the 1 1/2-mile, Group 2 Princess of Wales’s Stakes and the 1 5/8-mile, Group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes in his last two outings, A son of Galileo trained by Jeremy Noseda, he picks up the services of Olivier Peslier. Last year’s Geoffrey Freer winner, Kite Wood, was second as the favorite next time in the Doncaster St. Leger, won the Group 2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier in his seasonal debut, but was only sixth in his Geoffrey Freer defense on Aug. 14.