Alamshar to use pacemaker at Leopardstown

Alamshar will have the use of a pacemaker in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday in a bid to avoid a repeat…

Alamshar will have the use of a pacemaker in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown on Sunday in a bid to avoid a repeat of his defeat there a month ago.

The John Oxx-trained colt failed by half-a-length to peg back the front-running Aidan O'Brien second string Balestrini in the Ballysax Stakes over this 10 furlongs.

But he is 7-2 joint favourite with Sagitta 2000 Guineas winner Refuse To Bend for the premier Classic at Epsom next month following that eye-catching run.

Oxx, who sent out Sinndar to take this Group Tow prize and the Derby in 2000, will saddle Masandam as pacemaker in the €86,000 contest.

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Oxx said today: "We'll find out a bit more after the next race, we'll see if he's up to it but he's got to keep improving.

"Every time Sinndar went out he was 7lb better than the last run.

"It was a nice run by Alamshar last time, we went home happy. He got a bit tired, blew up and then ran on well.

"We were worried something strange might happen because we didn't have a pacemaker and decided to follow Mick Kinane (on Alberto Giacometti)."

The second of Alamshar's two successes last season came in the Juddmonte Beresford Stakes at the Curragh when he accounted for Brian Boru by a head.

The O'Brien-trained Brian Boru seeks revenge on his seasonal debut on Sunday but he has to give Alamshar 7lb because of his Group One win in the Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster last October.

Seamus Heffernan takes the ride on Brian Boru as stable jockey Michael Kinane will be on duty at Longchamp.

O'Brien also runs The Great Gatsby, fourth to Brian Boru at Doncaster, in the Derrinstown, while the six-runner line-up is completed by Cozzene's Honor and Napper Tandy.

There are no O'Brien runners in the Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial but Oxx has Flamelet in the Group Three contest over a mile for which five fillies were declared.