NEWS ROUND-UP: THE IRISH Derby winner Fame And Glory may not be finished for the season just yet and next Saturday's Emirates Airlines Champion Stakes at Newmarket is now a possible target for the Aidan O'Brien- trained star.
Fame And Glory has emerged unscathed from last weekend’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe where he finished sixth to his old rival Sea The Stars and could drop back to 10 furlongs for a possible final hurrah in 2009.
“The Breeders’ Cup is a possible for him but another option is the Champion Stakes at Newmarket. He has come out of the Arc very well and is in good form,” O’Brien said yesterday.
The champion trainer will also target Newmarket’s other Group One prize next Saturday but not with his unbeaten classic hope Cape Blanco.
“He has had a little setback. It’s not much and he could race again this year but he won’t make the Dewhurst,” he said. “Steinbeck could run in the Dewhurst, along with Fencing Master, a horse that won at Dundalk last month.”
O’Brien is also formulating plans for next month’s Breeders’ Cup meeting at Santa Anita with the Classic hopes Rip Van Winkle and Mastercraftsman likely to be joined by a number of other Ballydoyle hopefuls.
“Alfred Nobel could run in the Juvenile Dirt and Viscount Nelson has a choice of that race or the Juvenile Turf. We haven’t decided on that yet,” he said.
Septimus is currently a 4 to 1 favourite in some ante-post lists for the Breeders’ Cup marathon but the 2008 Irish Leger winner has yet to appear this season and may now be kept for a 2010 campaign.
No final call has been made on Sea The Stars’ participation in the Breeders’ Cup although John Oxx’s superstar could be backed at 4 to 1 with Betfair yesterday for the $5 million Classic.
Sea The Stars remains a clear top-rated in world rankings however with the Federation of International Handicappers making him a 135, with his nearest rival, France’s Goldikova, on 130.
Three of the top four horses in the world right now are Irish trained with Fame And Glory and Rip Van Winkle both rated 129. Mastercraftsman leads a group of five other horses on 125, including the American stars Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra.
“Sea The Stars is an obvious standout but the Aidan O’Brien trio all warrant inclusion on their efforts too,” said Ireland’s senior handicapper Garry O’Gorman.
Limerick trainer Enda Bolger travels to Fairyhouse today where his My Lord Oscar looks a prime contender in the handicap chase despite an 8lb penalty for winning at Listowel.
Another horse in action at Listowel was Kiosk who did enough on his debut to go close for local trainer Jim Dreaper in the bumper.
