British challenge dwindles

Britain will not have a challenger in Sunday's Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh after both Crazee Mental and Bahr were ruled out of the big race.

Trainer Derek Haydn Jones pulled his filly, Crazee Mental, out of the Group One contest because she hasn't fully recovered from the injury that denied her a run in York's Lowther Stakes.

Crazee Mental had finished second in both the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket, but she will now head for the Cheveley Park Stakes next month.

"She still has a slight haematoma on her shoulder from the accident she had in the stables at York," explained the Pontypridd trainer.

"We've been monitoring it day by day. It's 99 per cent disappeared, but she has missed two pieces of work recently so she will go to Newmarket instead."

A spokesperson for Barry Hills said yesterday: "We have decided against sending Bahr to the Curragh."

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Predictably it has been an as you were situation as regards the championship tables since the jumps season officially started on June 1st and Charlie Swan and Aidan O'Brien can maintain the status quo with yet another double at Kilbeggan this evening.

Swan, on 26 winners already this term, is 10 clear of his nearest rival, Tommy Treacy, in the jockeys table and can immediately extend that by taking the opening Innkeepers Novice Hurdle with O'Brien's Ithastobesaid.

This four-year-old was never going to beat the progressive Quinze at Tralee last week but battled stoutly on the heavy ground to get within five lengths at the finish with Blazing Arrow well back in fourth.

Before that, Ithastobesaid showed his versatility by beating Orange Order, a winner at Clonmel on Tuesday, on fast ground at Gowran and now seems a more complete performer than when he expensively failed a number of times earlier in the season.

That is just as well as on Sligo bumper form in June, Native Fleck is 3lb better for giving the selection a nine length beating on soft ground. However, although there will be a cut in it today, it should not be as bad and it could suit Ithastobesaid more. In his current good form, he can reverse it with Native Fleck who looks the main danger ahead of the persistently flattering Eduardo.

Swan and O'Brien team up for their own version of Eduardo, Barhale Boy, in the Brusna Maiden Hurdle and although we've said it before, this really does look an ideal opportunity for the gelding. Splitting Fabriano and Lucky Dante at Dundalk last time wasn't a bad effort in today's circumstances.

O'Brien's Careformenow won a Beginners Chase here in July but will have to shoulder topweight in the Max Premium Handicap Chase, a point that will swing many to another course winner Shuil Na Mhuire. However, it may not be the correct switch as there should just be enough juice in the ground to facilitate the veteran High-Spec who can last out this trip the better under Jason Titley.