The absence of staying king Kyprios until the second half of this season due to injury leaves Aidan O’Brien in a bit of a quandary, so he is on a fact-finding mission at Navan today to source a suitable replacement.

Kyprios took all before him last season with six successive victories but will miss his defence of the Ascot Gold Cup in June and O’Brien is hoping that Emily Dickinson and Bolshoi Ballet can throw their names into the hat.

Both tackle the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes (4.35) – won by Kyprios last year en route to Royal Ascot success – at the Meath track with Ryan Moore (inset) siding with Emily Dickinson and Seamie Heffernan in the plate on Bolshoi Ballet.

This 1m6f trip is a total unknown to Bolshoi Ballet - which missed a year of action before returning when fourth at Lingfield in November - whereas it should play to the strengths of Emily Dickinson.

The Dubawi filly competed creditably at Group One level last season without getting her head in front before dropping down in grade to run away with the Group Three Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh last October in demanding conditions over two miles.

This should be right down her street and she can get the better of the Paddy Twomey-trained French Claim, which does have the benefit of a win under his belt this season, while Joseph O’Brien’s dual Dundalk winner Okita Soushi is another to keep an eye on.

Aidan O’Brien also has two live hopes in the earlier Committed Stakes (3.30), with Aesop’s Fables dropping back to sprinting, having failed to see out the trip when going off the hottest of favourites in the Group One National Stakes.

Aesop’s Fables is open to improvement at the shorter trip, but stablemate The Antarctic is preferred of the Ballydoyle duo.

Outside of an off-colour display in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot, the Dark Angel colt was a model of consistency in his juvenile career and is a live contender under Moore, but the Johnny Murtagh-trained Shartash is favoured.

The son of Invincible Spirit, which defeated the brilliant Blackbeard last season, disappointed on his final start as a juvenile in the Group One Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp but can put his best foot forward under Ben Coen.