Van Nistelrooy 'is fine'

RACING: Even more than the $6.4 million price tag rides on Van Nistelrooy at the Curragh today after Aidan O'Brien reported yesterday that the coughing bug at his stable has spread to "the majority" of the two-year-olds, writes Brian O'Connor

"Van Nistelrooy seems fine. All the tests are okay but he is one of the few that is healthy," the Ballydoyle trainer said.

"Most of them have started coughing over the last few days and the majority of the two-year-olds have it now," he added.

The ante-post favourite for next year's 2,000 Guineas, Statue Of Liberty, is one of the exceptions but the Coventry winner is on a break at the moment.

O'Brien had been considering runner Spartacus and Marino Marini, the first two in the Phoenix Stakes, in tomorrow's Prix Morny at Deauville but that plan has been shelved. "They seem to be okay but we have just decided not to run them," he said.

There were no Ballydoyle two-year-old runners at York during the week and the cough has already hit such high-profile colts as the Railway Stakes winner Hold That Tiger and the Anglesey victor Ontario.

The bug has ravaged the yard for almost a month now and has affected three-year-olds like the double Derby hero High Chaparral and the Eclipse winner Hawk Wing.

Their possible participation in the Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday week is under threat but O'Brien said yesterday: "We are hoping to have them back but it is too early to say for definite."

The focus will be even more intensified now on O'Brien's two runners in the Group Futurity today, especially Van Nistelrooy who is unbeaten in two starts over the course and distance.

The world's most expensive yearling last year was almost beaten by a slow early gallop in the Tyros last time but his stable companion, the Naas winner Macedonian King, is not a pacemaker.

"He is there on his merits and won first time out at Naas," said O'Brien. "I would hope the pace will be better this time and as it's a Group Two, you would imagine there will be more pace."

Short odds in the circumstances could be foolish and the safer options could be the English challenger Wiful and the Tipperary scorer Dramadoir.

The Bolger horse had his form boosted by Kurkaan at Leopardstown and he looks a type to improve further.

Almost half the 26-strong field for the Tatts Breeders Stakes are British trained including the Richard Hannon duo Let's Party and Cosmo who will try to give Mick Kinane a first win in the race.

Hannon's record is awesome having won the valuable pot five times in the last six years but the Shergar Cup winner Tout Seul looks to have come on significantly since being beaten by Cosmo at Salisbury in June.

Tiger Royal's 115 rating reads well in the context of the Listed Belgrave Stakes and the Weld sprinter should be hard to beat.

Carallia jumps straight from apprentice maiden class to the Belgrave which shows the task Memphis Raines had at Naas. The filly can be topical winner in the opener.

The Ballycullen Stakes at Fairyhouse is the Sunday highlight and looks to provide Pugin with an ideal opportunity to make up for lost time.

Last year's Irish Derby fourth hasn't run since April but the in-form team of John Oxx and John Murtagh will also feel this Listed race owes them something.

Pugin and Vinnie Roe produced one of the finishes of last season when this contest was run at the Curragh.

Pugin went down by a head after a titanic finish and was conceding 3lbs into the bargain. It's no wonder he brings a 112 rating to the party and anywhere near that will surely win.

Vinnie Roe's stable mate Mutakarrim has to concede 3lbs this time and so the Weld camp will be looking at Peratus in the opener as a more likely option. The Firestone runner went down by only half a length to Miguel Cervantes at the Curragh.