RACING NEWS ROUND-UP:AIDAN O'BRIEN has the pick of his hugely-powerful Ballydoyle team to choose from as he attempts to become the most successful trainer in Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes history at Leopardstown on Saturday.
The champion trainer has half of the 10 entries left in the €750,000 Group One highlight and a sixth victory in the race this weekend would see him pass out Vincent O’Brien’s tally of five.
Last year’s Champion Stakes runner-up Fame And Glory was joined among the 10 at yesterday’s forfeit stage by Rip Van Winkle as well as this year’s Irish Derby hero Cape Blanco. Beethoven and Black Quartz complete the Ballydoyle entry.
Concrete running plans won’t be finally decided until later in the week but O’Brien yesterday indicated that the mile-and-a-quarter trip could be ideal for Cape Blanco who is also being quoted in ante-post betting for the following weekend’s English St Leger.
“The Leger is just an alternative. The reality is that his best form is at 10 furlongs. He can look like he stays further and he has a lazy way of running that sucks you into thinking he will stay,” he said.
“But his best form is at a mile and a quarter.”
O’Brien has won the Champion Stakes with the three years olds, Giant’s Causeway (2000) and Oratorio (2005) and also with the older horses, High Chaparral (2003) and Dylan Thomas who scored twice in 2006-07.
This year his older-horse brigade is led by Fame And Glory and Rip Van Winkle, both of whom remain in contention to run, although there remains a doubt about whether they will take each other on this Saturday.
“At the moment maybe both of them won’t run but I’m not sure yet. We’ll know more later in the week. We want to see how the horses are. You can never say. But they haven’t been left in for no reason even though obviously we have other races to think of,” O’Brien said.
Fame And Glory is being prepared for another tilt at the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in early October and has the option of waiting a week and warming up in the Prix Foy at Longchamp.
Rip Van Winkle was a dramatic winner of York’s Juddmonte International on his previous start and Twice Over, the horse he beat into second that day, looks like providing the main opposition to the Ballydoyle battalion on Saturday.
It is 22 years since Henry Cecil won the Champion Stakes with Indian Skimmer but the Leopardstown authorities confirmed yesterday that his team have been in touch with them about travel arrangements for the weekend.
Sea Lord won a handicap at the Curragh on Derby day on his last visit to Ireland but Mark Johnston’s progressive horse, a Group Three winner over Poet’s Voice on his last start at Salisbury, was supplemented yesterday at a cost of €75,000.
The ground at Leopardstown yesterday was firm. Watering began on Saturday and is likely to continue through the week.
“We are told the week will be dry,” said the track manager Tom Burke yesterday.
The famous Godolphin colours have been carried to victory five times already in the Champion Stakes although their 1994 winner Cezanne was trained by Michael Stoute. Sheikh Mohammed’s team have left in Cavalryman this time while the ex-Ballydoyle horse, Poet will only appear for Clive Cox if ground conditions soften.
Famous Name, like Twice Over owned by Juddmonte, but trained by Dermot Weld is the other entry.
Aidan O’Brien’s other Group One focus on Saturday could be on Haydock where Starspangledbanner remains among the 20 entries left in the Betfred Sprint Cup.
THE IRISH 1,000 Guineas heroine Bethrah could lead Dermot Weld’s attempt on a possible Group One double at Leopardstown on Saturday in the Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes, writes Brian O’Connor.
Weld also hopes to run Famous Name in the Champion Stakes on the same day but said yesterday that he won’t hesitate to take out both horses if ground conditions are too firm.
“Provided Leopardstown water and the ground is safe then both will run. If not, I’ll wait,” he said.
“Famous Name could run instead in the Prix Du Moulin, a race he was second in last year. But my plan is currently for both to run at Leopardstown.”
Bethrah hasn’t been seen since her Classic victory at the Curragh in May when a dramatic dash up the rail yielded a defeat of Anna Salai. Back in third that day was Music Show, winner of the Falmouth since, while Lillie Langtry, a subsequent Coronation winner, was fifth. Both of those fillies are due to clash with Bethrah again on Saturday.
“I’m delighted with my filly. She is in great form,” said Weld while Lillie Langtry’s trainer Aidan O’Brien reported: “She has had a break and is ready to start back. She is in good order.”
A total of 13 remain in the Matron including the high-class older fillies, Sapacious and Strawberrydaiquiri who fought out a memorable Windsor Forest finish at Royal Ascot in June.
Seven of the Matron 13 are British-trained.
