RACING News: John Oxx is targeting Sunday week's Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown for the return of his big Doncaster St Leger hope Shalapour.
The Aga Khan-owned colt hasn't race since he finished third behind Hurricane Run and Scorpion in the Budweiser Irish Derby, but is a clear 6 to 1 second favourite for the Leger behind his old rival Scorpion.
Shalapour is set to face older horses for the first time in his career in the Ballyroan, including the four-time Irish Leger hero Vinnie Roe, who is again using the Leopardstown race as a warm-up for the Curragh next month.
However, Oxx said yesterday: "All going well he is an intended runner. It's a race that is ideally situated in the calendar as a Leger trial. He is going to need his work-outs between now and then to be ready, but he looks well and is in good form."
Shalapour looks like being Oxx's sole Leger contender, despite Behkiyra and the one-time Derby fancy Ehsan also featuring in the ante-post betting.
"It will be too soon for Ehsan and Behkiyra was entered before the Irish Oaks where we were hoping for a good performance. But she didn't run in the Oaks and you can take it both will be taken out of the race at the next forfeit stage," Oxx added.
Scorpion remains a red-hot favourite for Doncaster on the back of his Group One triumph in the Grand Prix de Paris last month, but his trainer, Aidan O'Brien, has not yet committed the colt to the final Classic of the British season.
Also prominent in the betting is Scorpion's stable companion Indigo Cat, who won at the Royal Ascot at York festival. O'Brien has won the Leger with Brian Boru in 2003 and Milan in 2001.
The Ballydoyle trainer remains an odds-on favourite to win Sunday's Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes for the seventh time. O'Brien has four entries remaining in the Group One prize at the Curragh, but his most likely runners look like being George Washington, prominent in all lists for next year's 2,000 Guineas, and Amadeus Mozart.
Nevertheless, the Cork firm Cashmans report sustained support over the last number of days for their offer of the O'Brien stable as a whole winning at the weekend.
"We opened at 4 to 5 and there has been quite a lot of support, which has made us cut the price to 4 to 6," explained spokesman Joseph Burke yesterday.
The O'Brien camp could also be in Group One action in France on Sunday as Ad Valorem is among the entries for the Prix Maurice de Gheest over six and a half furlongs at Deauville.
The Danzig colt was an honourable third in the Sussex Stakes on his last start at Goodwood and may try to follow in the footsteps of King Charlemagne, who won the race for O'Brien four years ago.
Young Elodie was an impressive winner over hurdles at the Galway festival and will try to break her duck on the level in this evening's 13-furlong maiden at Wexford.
Michael O'Brien's filly has some decent form on the flat, including a third to Orpington at Galway last year, and while Fire Finch has an edge strictly on ratings, Young Elodie could be under-marked on 66 considering her obvious current good health.
Tarn Ridge is 17lb higher for wins at Ballinrobe and over the course and distance of tonight's handicap chase. That could put an end to the five-year-old's good run, and Teknash ran well enough behind Short And Sweet at Roscommon on Tuesday to make him an alternative option.
Ruby Walsh escaped with just severe bruising after a crashing fall from Double Tree in the opening race at Sligo last night and is likely to out of action for a few days.
Timmy Murphy was also in the wars and was stood down for seven days after being slightly concussed following a fall from Slick at the second last in the Leo McMorrow Memorial Handicap Hurdle.
