Sea The Stars earmarked for York

GRANTED SUITABLE ground, next month’s Juddmonte International at York will be the next target for Sea The Stars. But definitely off the agenda of the triple-Group One winner is Ascot’s King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in 10 days.

John Oxx yesterday stressed his determination to keep options open for Sea The Stars given the colt’s preference for fast ground, but confirmed he has ruled out the King George.

“We have to pass something up, and while it upsets me to skip a race like the King George, which is worth a million sterling, we do have to think long-term with this horse,” the Curragh trainer said.

“So at the moment it looks like we are looking at York, followed by the Irish Champion Stakes, which is something of a priority. The two races are only 18 days apart which is close enough.

“That means we have decided to miss the King George which allows us to continue easing him off a bit before building back up to York. But there is nothing set in stone because we can’t know what way the weather is going to go,” he added.

Sea The Stars was trading at 4 to 6 “with a run” with some firms for the King George. His Group One form from a mile to a mile-and-a-half is helping Oxx’s range of options with the colt, and he revealed Ascot’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes over a mile in September could become a target if the weather interferes with plans.

“If, for instance, the weather meant we couldn’t run at either York or Leopardstown, then the QEII could be a fall-back thing for the horse. With a horse like this you can end up considering any distance,” Oxx said.

However, given favourable conditions it’s looking increasingly likely that the Guineas, Derby and Eclipse winner will be campaigned exclusively at 10 furlongs for the rest of 2009.

“We will see what the situation is after Leopardstown, but the English Champion looks an obvious race for him. That doesn’t mean the Arc is ruled out, but ground conditions are usually soft at that time of year at Longchamp,” Oxx explained.

Beauty O’Gwaun was a rare disappointment for the Currabeg team in Sunday’s Irish Oaks, back-pedalling spectacularly before the field hit the straight.

“We have found absolutely nothing wrong with her physically. It looks like she simply decided to slow down rather than go forward,” Oxx reported.

Tony Martin is planning for the Galway Plate and indicated that Monday’s Killarney winner Royal County Star is a likely starter.

“There is a three-mile two-furlong hurdle at Galway, but he will probably go for the Plate. He has a lot of weight with 11-7, but if the topweights stay in it’s an option,” said the trainer, who can choose from a Plate entry that also includes Green Mile, Aggie’s Lad and Northern Alliance, who runs on the flat at Killarney this evening.