RACING: Magritte, the former ante-post favourite for next year's Vodafone Epsom Derby, is set to try and gain Group One glory in France on Saturday.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained colt, a full brother to the Derby runner-up The Great Gatsby, will run in the Criterium de St Cloud with Michael Kinane likely to take the ride.
That would rule out an attempt by Kinane on the seventh century of his career at Leopardstown's postponed finale to the Irish flat season. The champion jockey-elect is currently on the 99-winner mark for the term.
However, the Group One prestige of the 10-furlong race in St Cloud is set to take Kinane to France for a contest that the Ballydoyle team have won for the last two years with Alberto Giacometti and Ballingarry.
Magritte shot to the top of the Derby betting after an impressive debut at Tipperary in July but didn't appear again until Doncaster's Racing Post Trophy when he finished third to American Post.
However O'Brien said yesterday: "He seems to have come on a lot for that race. He hadn't run in a very long time and he was very rusty.
"I don't think the mile and a quarter will be a problem to him. He has a staying pedigree and we have always felt he would stay a trip. But you can never be sure until they do. If Magritte does run he will do so by himself. We wouldn't send anything else and while it isn't definite, I would imagine Mick would go to France."
However, the powerful juvenile team at Ballydoyle has failed to hit the bullseye in many of Europe's top prizes this term.
Only One Cool Cat (National Stakes-Phoenix Stakes) and Necklace (Moyglare Stud Stakes) have hit the Group One target this year and no O'Brien-trained juvenile has won a Group One overseas.
On the domestic scene this weekend some of the big names of the jumping scene are set to return to action.
Moscow Flyer has the Fortria at Navan as a target while the eight-strong entry for the James Nicholson Champion Chase at Down Royal includes Beef Or Salmon and the Gold Cup runner- up Truckers Tavern. However, few runners will be returning from as long a lay-off as Solerina.
Last season's star novice hurdler hasn't raced since winning Leopardstown's Deloitte & Touche in February but is due to meet the SunAlliance winner Hardy Eustace in Sunday's Lismullen Hurdle.
"We are anxious to run her presuming the ground is safe. We don't need it soft, just no jar," reported Michael Bowe, son of permit holder James Bowe.
Solerina picked up an infection in a hind leg and swelling on her knee after the Deloitte, ruling her out of the SunAlliance at Cheltenham, but is ready to race.
"It's over nine months since she's had a race so it's fair to say she will badly need the run. We would have liked to run her before this but the way conditions were, with the exceptionally dry autumn, that wasn't possible," he added.
Bowe also reported that his other stable star, Limestone Lad, is enjoying his recuperation period from injury and could yet try and fit in some exercise.
"We'll see if we can get a spot of hunting into him," he said. "We won't run him back this season because when he does return I want to make sure he is ready to take full work."
