RACING: The strong Irish challenge for next month's Doncaster St Leger took a blow yesterday when David Wachman indicated that his Epsom Derby fourth Fracas is unlikely to run again this season.
Fracas, who went to Epsom following three wins in a row that included Derby Trial victories at Leopardstown and Sandown, hasn't run since the Irish Derby at the Curragh when he only beat one home behind Hurricane Run.
Nevertheless, the colt has been as low as 12 to 1 for the final Classic of the British season which will be run on the same day as the Irish Champion Stakes on September 10th.
"I would say we will have to leave him until next year," Wachman said yesterday. "Epsom and the Irish Derby look to have taken their toll but hopefully he will be back."
The Irish Derby was run on good to firm going which was not ideal for Fracas who had earlier won the Derrinstown Trial on ground officially described as soft.
Irish-trained horses continue to dominate the Leger ante-post betting, however, with Aidan O'Brien in possession of the favourite Scorpion as well as having both the Great Voltigeur third Avalon and Indigo Cat prominent in the betting.
John Oxx also has Shalapour in the Doncaster Classic but he has stressed that no final decision has been taken about whether the colt runs there or against older horses in the Irish Leger.
Aidan O'Brien will try for a fourth triumph in Sunday's Darley Prix Morny at Deauville with Ivan Denisovich who is one of three Ballydoyle entries left in the weekend Group One feature.
Amadeus Mozart, runner-up to the hot 2,000 Guineas favourite George Washington in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh, is also a possible for the Morny along with Nero. A total of 10 horses remain in the race including the highly-rated home hope New Girlfriend and the Mick Channon-trained pair Puskas and Silcas Sister.
O'Brien first won the six-furlong contest with Orpen seven years ago and followed up with the subsequent juvenile champions Fasliyev (1999) and Johannesburg (2001). Another Irish entry at Deauville on Sunday is the Willie Mullins- trained veteran Holy Orders who could take in the Group Two Prix Kergorlay over an almost two-mile trip.
Ballydoyle's sole interest on the last day of the Ebor meeting at York is the Cork maiden winner Beauty Bright who goes in the Group Two Lowther Stakes. Kieren Fallon's mount faces a big task against the unbeaten Flashy Wings, however.
Both John Oxx's Kastoria, runner-up to Mona Lisa at Cork last time, and Kevin Prendergast's Best Side are scheduled to start in the Listed Galtres Stakes, a race Oxx won last year with Tarakala.
Michael Kinane has been booked to ride Richard Hannon's Cool Creek in the 300,000 Tattersalls Sales Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday. Kinane has won the last two renewals of the valuable contest which has not been won by a home trained horse for a decade.
The Tipperary authorities were expecting up to 25mms of rain last night ahead of this evening's card which features two Listed races, the Fairy Bridge Stakes and the Danehill Dancer Tipperary Stakes.
"We're told we could get anything between 10-25mms but it is very hard to predict," said the course manager Peter Roe. "If we got all of that it would turn the going towards yielding but I've no fears about the ground."
Waterways has to concede weight in the five-furlong Stakes race but the Molecamb Stakes third's experience could prove crucial if the ground does change.
The Fairy Bridge Stakes has been on Society Hostess's menu ever since she easily won a handicap at Galway. The six length runner-up Szewinska has since won and Society Hostess has placed form on the soft if the ground changes.
The seven-furlong race features Group Three winners in Jazz Princess and Miss Sally as well as the well-touted Intriguing whose classic aspirations disappeared after proving hard to train earlier in the season. Fairy Of The Night is another to look at but Society Hostess is clearly on the upgrade.
Blue Corrig ran out at the very first obstacle under Ruby Walsh at Tramore last weekend but the champion jockey significantly stays with the grey in the handicap hurdle at Bellewstown tonight.
