Japan, the second-favourite behind Enable for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe next month, could miss the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday week and head straight to Paris.
Japan was an impressive winner of the International Stakes at York last time out, 24 hours before Enable took her winning sequence to 12 races on her final start in Britain in the Yorkshire Oaks. He is the ante-post favourite for the Irish Champion Stakes but Aidan O’Brien, speaking on Wednesday at a media event to launch the William Hill St Leger Festival, seemed inclined to take on Enable at Longchamp on 6 October without another run.
“He might go to the Irish Champion but it’s possible he’ll go straight to Longchamp,” the colt’s trainer said. “He’s a three-year-old and we don’t want to overtax him. We want to give him a chance to keep progressing. He’s got a lot of races now, there’s the Arc and then on into January and February. There’s the Pegasus [at Gulfstream Park] and there’s a big race in Saudi now as well [the new $20m Saudi Cup]. The races really stack up.”
O’Brien’s main contenders for the St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday week are likely to be Sir Dragonet, who finished fifth when favourite for the Derby at Epsom in June, and Il Paradiso, third behind Stradivarius in the Lonsdale Cup at York last month.
“We thought we would have a look at the Arc [for Sir Dragonet] but things are changing all the time,” O’Brien said. “The St Leger is an important race and we felt there was a good chance he could get the trip. It will be exciting to see how he goes.”
Greg Wood’s racing tips Thursday 5 Sept
Sedgefield 1.30 Akkapenko 2.00 Bannixtown Glory 2.30 Isaac Wonder 3.00 Nayati
3.30 My Renaissance 4.00 Allelu Alleluia (nap) 4.30 Dounyapour
Haydock 1.50 Arabist 2.20 Oakenshield (nb)
2.50 Panic Room 3.20 Illumined 3.50 Mizaah
4.20 Sinjaari 4.55 Mauricio
Salisbury 2.10 Flying Dragon 2.40 Sea Trout Reach 3.10 Tadreej 3.40 Millisle 4.10 Betsey Trotter 4.40 Light Up Our Stars
Lingfield 4.15 Muhallab 4.45 Fighting Temeraire 5.20 Illusionist 5.50 Crime Of Passion 6.20 Cotton Club 6.50 Lady Mascara 7.20 High Commissioner
Chelmsford 5.40 Pettinger 6.10 Inflamed
6.40 Keep On Laughing 7.10 Muhaarar’s Nephew
7.40 Junooh 8.10 Cosmic Landscape
8.40 Swell Song
In contrast to Sir Dragonet, Il Paradiso will be dropping back in trip. “That was a very good run for a three‑year-old,” O’Brien said. “He stays very well and he looks like a horse that will get the [Ascot] Gold Cup trip. We’ll ride one like we’re sure he’ll stay and the other one we’ll take our time with.”
Jockey bookings have to be finalised, principally because the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown will be run only 40 minutes after the Leger.
“Jockeys are going to be a problem,”O’Brien said. “We have plenty of jockeys here but they are not going to be able to do the two and it doesn’t do any favours to anyone.It wouldn’t surprise me if Ryan goes to the St Leger, I’ll leave it to him to decide but I’d imagine it might be him [Sir Dragonet].”
