Aidan O'Brien announced yesterday that the exciting two-year-olds Black Rock Desert and Sunspangled will not run again this season, but his Prix Morny winner Orpen may yet be a surprise runner in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on the dirt at Churchill Downs, Kentucky, next month.
The Ballydoyle trainer had considered leaving the unbeaten Orpen off for the year after his Deauville success, but said yesterday: "He is still in full training and could well run again this year. He enjoys his work and is pleasing us. He's in all the top races but the juvenile race in America is a possible for him. Lavery is in that race as well."
Should Orpen run in the $1 million Kentucky race it will be an intriguing clash between the best of the generation in Europe and North America. The previous best performances by European-trained horses in the mile contest were Arazi's spectacular success in 1991 and the second place by Henry Cecil's Eltish in 1994. On both occasions the Breeders' Cup was held in Kentucky.
Before that O'Brien's Stravinsky will try and go one better than his second to Aljbar in the Prix de Salamandre when taking on Enrique in next Friday's Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, and tomorrow Coliseum goes in the Group One Grand Criterium at Longchamp.
"Coliseum seems to be very well but soft ground will not be in his favour. Still he seems to be coming on for his racing," O'Brien said.
O'Brien also runs El Gran Hombre (Gerald Mosse), whose claims seem less obvious in a field where Commander Collins was a high-profile overnight defector.
This means that the British challenge will rely on Paul Cole's Coventry Stakes winner, Red Sea and John Gosden's Royal Lodge second Glamis.
Andre Fabre also runs two and Indian Danehill, an impressive debut winner here last month in the Prix de Fontenoy, could be the one to beat.
Philip Mitchell's Running Stag rates a 10 to 1 shot in a field of six in the Grade One Jockey Club Gold Cup (10f) at Belmont Park today. The raider was beaten just under eight lengths into third in the Woodward Stakes (Group One) last month and still appears to have a tough task against the first and second in that race, Skip Away and Gentleman.
Brian Meehan has booked Pat Eddery to ride his Cork And Orrery Stakes winner, Tomba, in the Group Three Grosser Buchmacheer Springer Sprint Preis in Munich tomorrow.
