Sport

Schiaparelli to take Yeats on

ST LEGER NEWS: GODOLPHIN ARE prepared to have a crack at Yeats with Schiaparelli in Saturday’s Irish Field St Leger at The Curragh…

Thu Sept 10 2009 - 01:00

ST LEGER NEWS:GODOLPHIN ARE prepared to have a crack at Yeats with Schiaparelli in Saturday's Irish Field St Leger at The Curragh. The six-year-old has been right back to his best this season, with victories in the Goodwood Cup and at Deauville.

He won four times at the highest level back in his native Germany and the softer ground in Ireland means he has been rerouted from tomorrow’s Doncaster Cup.

“He won’t run at Doncaster because the ground will be too quick, but he is pencilled in for the Irish St Leger against Yeats,” said Godolphin’s stable jockey Frankie Dettori.

“He’s a really good horse. He’s got long legs and a big body so he needs a bit of cut in the ground for his joints, but he’s a Group One winner four times and he can be a very good cup horse for next year,” he said.

READ MORE

The drying conditions in Doncaster have seen Kite Wood lose his place as ante-post favourite for the race to O’Brien’s Age Of Aquarius.

Coupled with the news that Johnny Murtagh is bypassing Yeats at the Curragh to ride the Grand Prix de Paris runner-up, the O’Brien horse has been clipped again.

Meanwhile, Kieren Fallon has admitted defeat in getting a ride in the Doncaster St Leger this weekend. The former champion jockey has been booked to ride Swop for Luca Cumani in another race at the meeting on Saturday, but is without a mount in the final British Classic of the season.

Almost all the probable runners have riders pencilled in and although O’Brien and John Oxx have not completely finalised their plans, they are unlikely to involve Fallon, who has been in electric form in the few days since his drugs ban elapsed.

With Murtagh riding, O’Brien’s Age Of Aquarius has hardened the favourite further into 9 to 4 from 5 to 2. Kite Wood remains an uneasy 3 to 1 second favourite and although Kite Wood likes to lead, his jockey Frankie Dettori is not bothered about facing competition. The former Michael Jarvis-trained colt has won his last two starts at Newmarket and Newbury and the Italian’s more pressing concern is that the ground does not quicken up too much.