RACING NEWS ROUND-UP:SEPTIMUS LOOKS like being the key player in attempting to secure Aidan O'Brien another landmark at the Curragh on Saturday, but he will have to be prepared for a slog in the final home classic of 2008.
The star stayer is among 19 entries remaining in the Irish Field St Leger after yesterday's acceptance stage, and O'Brien indicated it will be Septimus, rather than last year's winner Yeats, who will attempt to complete a clean sweep of this year's Irish classics for the champion trainer.
It is 73 years since one trainer landed all five classics in a year, and although O'Brien has already completed a "Tiger Slam", having won the last seven classic races run in Ireland, he is now on the verge of bringing off a calendar "grand slam".
JT Rogers won the fillies races in 1935 with Smokeless, while Museum was successful in the Derby, 2000 Guineas and Leger.
O'Brien, however, has scored this year with different horses: Henrythenavigator (2,000 Guineas), Halfway To Heaven (1,000 Guineas), Frozen Fire (Derby) and Moonstone (Oaks).
"At the moment Septimus looks a more likely runner, but we're not ruling Yeats out completely," O'Brien said yesterday. "It's still hard to know for sure this early in the week, and we will have to figure out how testing the ground will be."
O'Brien has seven Irish Leger options, while Frozen Fire looks like leading eight Ballydoyle possibles into Saturday's English Leger at Doncaster.
"The plan is for Frozen Fire to go to Doncaster, and we could run some others as well. Things look likely to be testing over there as well," he added.
"I don't know about jockey arrangements for the weekend yet. I haven't sat down and discussed it with Johnny (Murtagh)."
This weekend presents four more opportunities for O'Brien to add to his Group One tally of 18 already secured this year, including Sunday's Bank of Scotland National Stakes at the Curragh, which is a target for Mastercraftsman.
However, conditions at the Curragh look sure to be testing with the ground already soft and poor weather forecast for the week ahead.
The Curragh authorities, however, have played down any fears of this weekend's prestigious action not going ahead.
"If the forecast we're getting is accurate then I think it is unlikely we will have any problems," manager Paul Hensey said yesterday.
"But it will be testing conditions. We are soft now and it is difficult to know exactly how much we will get from two rain bands that will cross the county this week."
Up to 60mm of rain has been forecast for some areas of the country this week, which will be a mixed outlook for some others hoping to break O'Brien's stranglehold on the Irish classics.
Dermot Weld has left Profound Beauty in the Irish Leger, but she also holds an entry in the Group Two Irish National Stud Blandford Stakes on the same day, while John Oxx has the classic option for Hasanka.
Kevin Prendergast is a four-time Irish Leger winner, including back-to-back victories with Oscar Schindler in 1998-99, and he has kept open the Leger option for Mores Wells, who ran third to New Approach in Sunday's Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
O'Brien could run US Ranger and three others in Saturday's rescheduled Sprint Cup at Doncaster, but plans are less definite for the classic prospect Rip Van Winkle.
He is an entry for Saturday's Group Two Champagne Stakes, along with Drumbeat and Westphalia, but O'Brien warned: "We won't be pushed into running him on bad ground. There's no panic with him."
William Hill have eased slightly the odds on O'Brien breaking the record for Group One victories in a year, but he is still a 2 to 7 favourite to hit 26 or better.
"There are 20 more races that Aidan can target to reach 26, and it will take real nerve to oppose him given the form his horses are in," a spokesperson said.
Lordan looks Apt to have good start at Galway
WAYNE LORDAN looks the jockey to follow on Day Two of Galway's September festival, where he has good prospects of landing all three flat races, writes Brian O'Connor.
Suspension meant Lordan missed out on Group One glory in the Moyglare Stud Stakes on Again, but he and David Wachman have had a fine season with their juveniles and Apt can go one better than her Curragh debut in the opener.
The Danetime filly was beaten a long way by Forest Storm but should improve, while Lordan's mount in the following handicap, Senators Alibi, has course form and a good draw on his side.
Ring Hill hasn't run since November but has course and distance form on her side in the mile-and-a-half handicap and is just 6lb higher in the ratings for this evening.
Tasman is also a course and distance winner in the novice chase, but with conditions likely to be testing it might be worth betting that Sonnyanjoe will improve significantly on his last start over fences at Killarney.
