Shalapour may stay at home for St Leger

RACING/News round-up: John Oxx has indicated that the Irish St Leger at the Curragh rather than the English version at Doncaster on Saturday week is a more likely Classic option for Shalapour.

Although the trainer stressed yesterday that no final decision has been made on which Leger the Aga Khan-owned colt will eventually run in, he also conceded that the home race is favourite at the moment.

"We probably won't make a definite decision until the end of the week but it does look like there is a good chance we will run at the Curragh rather than go to Doncaster," said Oxx.

"There are a variety of reasons for that but the jockey situation is not really one of them. There is a small field likely at Doncaster and there has been no shortage of good jockeys offering to ride," he added.

The Doncaster Leger is run on Saturday week, the same day as Oxx's star older horse Azamour defends his Irish Champion Stakes title at Leopardstown.

With stable jockey Michael Kinane on the sidelines due to a fractured wrist, and second jockey Fran Berry also out with a fractured sternum, Oxx's revised riding arrangements have resulted in the top French-based rider Christophe Soumillion coming in for the Champion Stakes ride on Azamour.

If Shalapour waits for the Irish Leger a week later, Soumillion, who is retained in France by the Aga Khan, could also be available for that Classic ride.

"Michael's original view was that he would be out for four to six weeks and the Irish St Leger would be four weeks since the fall. So I think it's highly unlikely he would be back in time for that.

"If for any reason Scorpion didn't run at Doncaster that might have a bearing on our decision but I think we might just wait for the Curragh," Oxx added.

Scorpion is currently a hot favourite for the Doncaster Leger with Shalapour currently trading at general ante-post odds of 6 to 1. Both Irish colts met in the Derby at the Curragh where Aidan O'Brien's horse finished runner-up to Hurriance Run with Shalapour back in third.

Shalapour has run once since when finishing runner-up to Chelsea Rose in the Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown.

Oxx also reported Azamour to be on target for the Champion Stakes and said that the four-year-old's new rider was impressed when he rode the horse in a piece of work last Friday.

"Christophe was happy and it won't be necessary for him to ride the horse again before the race," he said.

The Curragh Leger will have a definite Australian theme on the afternoon as the famous Melbourne Cup will be present at the track to help celebrate Australian Day. The Leger was won by Vintage Crop in 1993 before his historic victory at Flemington.

There will be Group One action at headquarters on Sunday with the Moyglare Stud Stakes where Aidan O'Brien's Debutante Stakes winner Rumplestiltskin is a likely runner. The Ballydoyle trainer has won the Moyglare three times in the last five years with Sequoyah (2000) Quarter Moon (2001) and Necklace two years ago.

The ground at the Curragh is currently good and little change is expected before the weekend.

"It's difficult to be precise at this stage but we have some rain and some drying conditions being forecast.

"I wouldn't imagine there will be much change from good before Sunday," said the Curragh manager Paul Hensey yesterday.

Jim Bolger has indicated that his star filly Alexander Goldrun could be re-routed from the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp to either the Champion Stakes or the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday week. Alexander Goldrun won the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood on her last start.

Frankie Dettori ended his search for success when Gavroche landed a gamble in the toteplacepot Handicap at Epsom yesterday.