Oxx keeps weather eye on York for Sea The Stars

RACING NEWS:THE GRAND National-winning rider Niall "Slippers" Madden could face up to two months on the injury sidelines after fracturing an arm at Kilbeggan over the weekend, writes Brian O'Connor.

Madden has had an operation on the arm which was broken in two places after he fell from Carlesimo at the first fence in the handicap chase on Saturday evening.

“The doctors have not given him any timeframe as yet, but he broke the arm in two places and there is plenty of swelling,” said the jockey’s agent, Andrew Kelly.

“It’s going to be a while – a month, maybe two months.”

The former champion amateur jockey had his biggest success in 2006 when Numbersixvalverde landed the Aintree National for trainer Martin Brassil.

JOHN OXX hopes the odds will continue in favour of Sea The Stars running in next week’s Juddmonte International at York, but the Curragh trainer concedes it won’t be a huge setback if the weather conditions prevent the world’s top-rated racehorse from competing.

Oxx is in regular contact with the York authorities ahead of next Tuesday’s race about ground conditions at the Knavesmire, which were yesterday on the easy side of good.

Earlier this season testing conditions prevented Sea The Stars from going in the Irish Derby and the Guineas, and the Derby and Eclipse winner will not appear next week if Oxx feels the going is unsuitably soft for the superstar colt.

“We will be in closer contact with York the longer the week goes on and, by the nature of these things, it will probably be a late decision, although if it is soft days in advance then a decision could be made for us,” he said yesterday.

“Last week the ground there was good to firm, but they had a lot of rain last Thursday night and now it is on the easier side of good. The forecast is mixed and a bit up and down, so we will have to see. The nature of the weather around here is that things can’t be clear-cut.

“Up to now we have been pretty fortunate in that he has got his ground in three of the four races that he could run in.

“We ended up running in the Eclipse rather than the Irish Derby and that worked out for the best, but you always have to be prepared for the day when the ground just isn’t right.

“We would very much like to run at York and then in the Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. York is a very good race for him and he is in tip-top form at the moment, but with our climate you sometimes have to expect the ground to go against you.

“It wouldn’t be a huge setback if he missed York, but it would be disappointing,” he added.

Sea The Stars is due to clash with the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner Mastercraftsman in the Juddmonte, and another who could end up in the York mix is Jeremy Noseda’s Royal Hunt Cup winner Forgotten Voice, who ran fourth to Rip Van Winkle in the Sussex Stakes on his last start.

“He seems to have thrived since Goodwood and we’ll probably go to York if we can,” said Forgotten Voice’s owner Paul Roy.

“He is entered for the Juddmonte and the Strensall. He is a horse that is maturing all the time and we think he will stay a bit further.”

Thursday’s Group Three Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown could see the Irish Derby third Mourayan attempt to earn his ticket for next month’s St Leger at Doncaster.

The Aga Khan-owned colt is one of 16 entries remaining in the mile-and-a-half race, and Oxx has used this race in the past for a class warm-up. Kastoria was successful before she went to land the Irish St Leger at the Curragh in 2006.

This time he also has Tanoura in the Ballyroan. She was forced to miss out on a Group Three prize at Cork nine days ago due to ground conditions at the Mallow track.

Dermot Weld landed the Ballyroan twice in 2002 and 2003 with Vinnie Roe, and this time he has the option of running Profound Beauty, who is one of the favourites for November’s Melbourne Cup.

The English entry Dansant, however, is more likely to wait for Saturday’s Geoffrey Freer Stakes at Newbury.

Oxx also had news of the Irish Guineas runner-up Rayeni yesterday, and indicated that the chestnut colt could be targeted at the Prix de la Foret at Longchamp over Arc weekend in early October.

However, the Group Three Solonaway Stakes at the Curragh on September 13th has been pencilled in for his first start since chasing home Mastercraftsman in the Guineas in May.

“We took the decision after the Guineas that a third wet summer in a row was against the odds and we left him off. Unfortunately we got the wet summer anyway,” Oxx reported.

“You can’t keep them on the stretch all the time anyway, so we will look at the Solonaway for his comeback and if we get a wet weekend for the Arc the Foret would look a race for him.”

Slippers faces long lay-off

THE GRAND National-winning rider Niall "Slippers" Madden could face up to twomonths on the injury sidelines after fracturing an arm at Kilbeggan over the weekend, writes Brian O'Connor.

Madden has had an operation on the armwhich was broken in two places after he fell from Carlesimo at the first fence in the handicap chase on Saturday evening.

“The doctors have not given himany timeframe as yet, but he broke the armin two places and there is plenty of swelling,” said the jockey’s agent, Andrew Kelly.

“It’s going to be a while - a month,maybe twomonths.”

The former champion amateur jockey had his biggest success in 2006 when Numbersixvalverde landed the Aintree National for trainer Martin Brassil.