John Oxx has described Azamour's chances of making the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe field as "touch and go" but is hopeful of Shalapour's chance against the older horses in Saturday's final classic of the season at the Curragh. Brian O'Connor reports.
Shalapour could end up the sole representative of the three-year-old brigade in the Irish Field St Leger but despite the recent dominance of older horses in the race Oxx does not see his colt as being at a disadvantage.
"It's just the way the race has developed in recent years that not too many three-year-olds run in the Irish Leger. Most of them go to Doncaster instead. But I don't think it's a particularly big ask for a three year old.
"I won it twice with Eurobird (1987) and Petite Ille (1989) when they were three-year-olds and the race had just been opened up. Vinnie Roe won when he was three as well. Aidan (O'Brien) has had some run well too without winning. It's just that not many three-year-olds run in the race now," he said.
The only three-year-old to win the Irish Leger in the last 15 years is Vinnie Roe (2001) and the only other member of the younger generation left in the Leger this time is the Ballydoyle entry Hippodrome. However, Aidan O'Brien's big hope for a Group One he has yet to win is Yeats.
Oxx also had more positive news of Azamour who tweaked a muscle in his back when finishing only fifth in last weekend's Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
Azamour remains as low as 7 to 1 for the Arc but it looks like it could be a race against time if the Aga Khan's star four-year-old is to make it to Longchamp.
"He is responding quite well to treatment and had his first slow easy canter since the race this morning. It improved quite a good bit from Monday to Tuesday, he is getting plenty of treatment and he is perfectly sound. So we're hopeful of getting him back into his normal routine pretty soon," reported Oxx.
However, asked about Azamour's chances of making the Arc, Oxx declared: "Touch and go. He would want to be back in fast work by the end of next week and wouldn't want to be feeling anything. It's very hard to know but I suppose the early indications are quite good."
If the Arc does come too soon, or if the ground conditions are unsuitable, then Azamour could wait for the Breeders' Cup Turf at Belmont Park with another option being the Champion Stakes at Newmarket.
The ground at the Curragh is currently "good" and the round course was watered yesterday. Met Éireann is forecasting 7mms of rain for the track today.
The track authorities are expecting a strong cross-channel challenge over the weekend and that challenge was bolstered yesterday when a Curragh spokesman confirmed that Michael Stoute's Gamut, a Group One winner last year in the Grand Prix de St Cloud, is an intended starter in the Leger.
He will be joined in the race by Collier Hill, Franklins Gardens and The Whistling Teal.
Saturday's main support race, the Ballygallon Stud Renaissance Stakes, will include the course winner Benbaun (Kieren Fallon) while Sunday's Irish National Stud Blandford Stakes will feature last year's runner-up Kinnaird as well as the former Group One winner Red Bloom.
The Breeders' Cup Turf is now a target for Grey Swallow who will miss out on the Arc after returning a poor scope following his Champion Stakes run.
The race at Belmont on October 29th is also a likely aim for Powerscourt who will try to add to his American haul having won last month's Arlington Million in Chicago.
His jockey Kieren Fallon said yesterday: "He went through them so easily at Arlington. He was by far the best horse. He kicked them out of the way. He has beaten all of these horses before so I can't see why he wouldn't be a contender."
Fallon will be at Tipperary this evening where High Chaparral's highly-rated sister Chenchikova looks set to make a winning debut in the fillies maiden while another of Sadler's Wells progeny, Poseidon Adventure, looks another interesting newcomer in the first.
The Fairyhouse winner I Key is 8lb higher in the ratings for the five furlong nursery and carries topweight. In contrast Glasog is 5lb lower since her last start but a previous run at the Curragh makes her an interesting contender off the minimum weight.
