Abbey set for Curragh return

RACING:IRISH RACING'S great enigma, St Nicholas Abbey, is set to return to action at the Curragh on Sunday where he will attempt to put the shine back on a once towering reputation.

Europe’s champion juvenile of 2009 hasn’t been seen in action since managing to finish only sixth as an even-money favourite for the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas in early May.

An attempt on the following month’s Epsom Derby was ruled out just a week before the blue riband due to injury and the only sight of the brilliant Racing Post Trophy winner came in a post-racing piece of work at the Curragh last month.

The Listed Finale Stakes over a mile and a half back at headquarters this weekend is the return date for St Nicholas Abbey although he also holds an entry at Navan tomorrow.

“The plan is that we will wait for Sunday. We want to get him started. He’s just ready for a run so we want to see how he gets on. He’s never run at that trip before,” Aidan O’Brien said yesterday.

St Nicholas Abbey holds an entry in Newmarket’s Champion Stakes the following Saturday but plans for that race won’t be decided until later this week.

Both Fame And Glory and Cape Blanco are reported to be fine after their exertions in Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe where Fame And Glory in particular endured a rough passage through the race behind Workforce.

“He got a rough old run in the Arc so we’ll have to see over the next few days what we will do next. Cape Blanco is a three-year-old who has done a lot this year so it is possible he won’t run again this season.

“But Fame is a four-year-old who had a break during the season and possibly could race again. There’s less than two weeks to the Champion though so we will have to see what the options are. Nothing is set in stone just yet,” O’Brien reported.

One star Ballydoyle name who definitely won’t be seen again in 2010 is the Group One-winning two-year-old Zoffany who will miss out on the Dewhurst at Newmarket.

Zoffany ran third to Pathfork and Casamento in the National Stakes last month and O’Brien said yesterday: “He came back from that with a bad enough heel infection and had a temperature for a few days.

“It all took a lot out of him so we know he has a lot more than he showed that day.”

Lucky William makes his first start over fences at Tipperary this afternoon when Tom Cooper’s smart six-year-old lines up for the two-mile Beginners Chase.

On the evidence of his run at Aintree last April, when only a dozen lengths behind the exciting Peddlers Cross in a top-flight hurdle, Lucky William looks an exciting convert to fences.

Worldly Wise has enjoyed another productive summer on the flat, winning at Tipperary in April and finishing third in the big mile handicap at the Galway Festival.

Pat Flynn’s hardy campaigner had three runs over jumps last winter without cutting much ice but teams up with Barry Geraghty in one of today’s maiden hurdles.

Geraghty will also fancy his chances on Big Secret who turns out for the two-and-a-half-mile Beginners Chase after running at Sligo last week while Riverstown can make it sixth time lucky over flights in the opening maiden.

Collins's Arctic may head back to France for Prix de Seine-et-Oise

THE TRACEY Collins-trained sprinter Arctic could be heading back to France next month after an encouraging comeback fifth in Sunday's Prix de l'Abbaye on Arc day at Longchamp, writes Brian O'Connor.

Collins is lining up the Group Three Prix de Seine-et-Oise at Maisons-Laffitte at the start of November as a possible start for the three-year-old whose only previous run this season came at the Curragh in June.

"He ran a cracker on Sunday. It was a hell of a run after he'd been off for so long," she said yesterday.

"Ground permitting there are one or two races left for him and he could be an exciting horse for us next year."

Arctic finished fifth to Gilt Edge Girl in Sunday's Group One highlight under jockey Séamus Heffernan.