Arctic Owl for Cup

Traditionalists may baulk at a six-year-old having his 21st start winning the Jefferson Smurfit Irish St Leger, but Arctic Owl is set to follow in the footsteps of the most famous Irish Leger winner of all and venture Down Under for the Melbourne Cup.

Vintage Crop was also six-years-old when he completed the Irish Leger-Melbourne Cup double in 1993.

On Saturday, Rostropovich was the nearest member of the classic generation when fourth behind an English clean sweep of older horses, and there was no carping at a popular first classic success for Arctic Owl's trainer James Fanshawe, who was also recording his first win in this country.

Back at his Newmarket base yesterday, Fanshawe was not be rushed into an immediate decision on whether his soft ground-loving winner will travel to Australia. "No decision will be made until next weekend and we don't have to put the horse into quarantine until October 2nd anyway," he said.

Arctic Owl travelled sweetly throughout under jockey David Harrison, and even when Yavana's Pace, runner-up for the second time running, set sail for home in the straight, he always appeared covered.

At that stage Katiykha's flattering effort had petered out and she was afterwards found to be distressed; and the favourite, Mutafaweq, was in trouble long before the straight. "He needs a sound footing and he didn't have it," reported his rider Frankie Dettori.