Aidan O`Brien has declared three other horses apart from the 4 to 7 favourite Galileo for Saturday`s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes. But in the longer term the Ballydoyle trainer is also looking forward to the long-awaited comebacks of some other star names.
Only Minardi was rated a better two-year-old than Beckett in Ireland last year, but the National Stakes winner has yet to see a race-course this season. Along with the unbeaten one-time 2,000 Guineas favourite, Hemingway, he has been a rare blip on a remarkable run of success for O`Brien, but the trainer is not giving up on either of them.
"Hopefully Beckett will be ready to run in a month or six weeks. He has had a few little problems, just the same as Hemingway. He is back in full work and is a month away from a run but I am not thinking of races for either of them yet. Twice we have planned for them and they have not made because of niggly little things. But you cannot take chances with horses like that," he said yesterday. The insurance of a pace in Saturday`s King George has been paid up with the decision to leave Bonnard, Pebble Island and Ice Dancer in the race alongside their illustrious stable companion. "We haven`t decided who will run yet but it is so far, so good with Galileo," O`Brien said.
Ballinrobe stages an eight-race card this evening when the Co Cork-born apprentice Wayne Lordan can again advertise his talents on the Thormond O'Mara trained Searing Eagle in the juvenile auction maiden.
Lordan is well on the way to bettering his 1999 winner total of 17, and up to last night's fixture has notched up a score of 11 this term. Among them have been some valuable victories, such as Serious Play in the Goff's #100,000 Challenge, to reinforce Lordan's reputation as one of the best young riders in the country.
Soaring Eagle went down by only a neck to Real Delight at the Curragh and should have little difficulty with the furlong extra of this evening's race.
Alassio has been runner-up on three occasions but what would be a valuable winning bracket for the Gulch filly can come in the nine furlong maiden, and the Killarney runner-up Commanche Pride can go one better in the second division of the handicap hurdle.
Pat Smullen looks a significant booking for the Michael Cunningham-trained Royal Barathea in the conditions race and the dual-purpose horse should be a contender at the business end.
Godolphir's trainer Saeed bin Suroor is full of confidence for his principal charge in Saturday's big race.
"I think Fantastic Light is the horse to beat in the King George," he said.
"He's in top form, as he showed at Royal Ascot recently, and he has a wealth of experience in running big races. He worked very well with Frankie last Saturday and we gave him another blow out over seven furlongs two days ago.
" I respect Galileo, who looks like he's a very special horse, but he'll have to beat Fantastic Light on Saturday to prove he's a real champion."
At yesterday's declaration stage 18 horses stood their ground.
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