RACING NEWS: Dermot Weld yesterday ruled Media Puzzle out of a follow-up bid on the Melbourne Cup.
The ante-post favourite for "the race that stops a nation" failed to impress in a piece of work on the Curragh yesterday and failed to gain inclusion in Saturday's Irish Field St Leger.
Media Puzzle hasn't run since entering the history books as just the second Northern Hemisphere winner of the Melbourne Cup last November and the impact of an interrupted season appears to have taken its toll.
"I wasn't satisfied with him this morning. He had a setback in the spring when we had to bring him back from Dubai and I just won't have him ready in time.
"He is perfectly sound and healthy but he is not forward to do himself justice. If he is not fit enough to run in the Irish Leger then he isn't fit enough for a Melbourne Cup campaign and he is too good and important a horse to run down the field," Weld said yesterday.
Instead, Vinnie Roe will be the sole Weld-trained runner in Saturday's Curragh classic as he goes in search of a historic third victory in a row in the Leger.
Just nine were declared at yesterday's forfeit stage including four British-trained runners. Heading the cross channel team looks to be last month's Lonsdale winner Bollin Eric and also there is Millenary who was second to Vinnie Roe in 2001 but finished only fifth last year.
Paddy Power reacted by making the Pat Smullen-ridden Vinnie Roe a 9 to 4 favourite to become a three-time winner, with Bollin Eric the 5 to 2 second favourite along with Powerscourt.
That could leave a useful spare ride loose in the Doncaster St Leger on the same day although Weld hasn't finally committed the Curragh Cup winner Maharib to Britain's oldest classic.
"We will make a decision later in the week after seeing what the weather does. Maharib would not want it firm," he said.
Aidan O'Brien is leaving the Curragh-Doncaster dilemma up to Michael Kinane after confirming yesterday that Brian Boru will go to England with Powerscourt being kept to take on Vinnie Roe at the Curragh.
"That is the plan at the moment but we won't decide until closer to the time about jockeys. We will let Mick decide and then look for someone to ride the other one," O'Brien said yesterday.
Brian Boru will be returning to the scene of his greatest triumph when winning last season's Racing Post Trophy under Kevin Darley.
The Curragh's other Group One weekend feature is Sunday's Dunnes Stores National Stakes for which 17 were declared yesterday. Aidan O'Brien trains 10 of them including the likely favourite One Cool Cat.
The going at headquarters was reported as "good" on the straight yesterday and "good to firm" on the round course. However, rain is forecast for later in the week.
The Galway September festival winds up today and the Barry Geraghty-ridden Jones's Road looks the answer to the three-mile handicap hurdle.
Over the course and distance in July, only Jaguar Claw beat the JP McManus-owned horse and since then Jones's Road has risen only 3lb in the ratings despite winning at Ballinrobe.
IRISH ST LEGER BETTING: (Paddy Power): 9-4 Vinnie Roe, 5-2 Bollin Eric and Powerscourt, 11-2 Millenary, 9 Gamut, 20 Rayshan, 25 Alcazar, 33 Queens Wharf.
