Irish Guineas winner Homeless Songs set to skip Ascot but return to race as a four-year-old

Dermot Weld’s Classic heroine Homeless Songs is set to skip Saturday’s Qipco British Champions Day action at Ascot with her trainer already looking forward to seeing the filly in action in 2023.

The daughter of Frankel put up one of the most impressive performances of 2022 when routing her opposition in May’s Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.

Putting five and a half lengths between herself and the subsequent Oaks winner Tuesday looked to leave Homeless Songs with the racing world at her feet.

However, quick ground conditions during the summer prevented Weld from running her again until Irish Champions Weekend, where she could finish only fourth to Pearls Galore in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.

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Subsequently Homeless Songs failed to fire in Newmarket’s sun Chariot Stakes just over a week ago when struggling home in seventh behind Fonteyn.

The Moyglare Stud-owned filly is still in the entries for this Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Stakes but Weld indicated on Sunday he is ready to draw stumps on a frustrating campaign.

“More than likely, she will wait for next season. The present plan is to race her again next year and it’s most likely she won’t run again this year,” he said.

“We are keen to have a good shot at it next season. She’s a very talented filly who likes a little ease in the ground and doesn’t need extremes.

“She may have just been coming into season on the Saturday in Newmarket. That, along with the travel over, may have been a contributory factor to her performance there.”

Ahead of Monday’s Killarney fixture, Weld has just had 19 winners in Ireland this Flat season. It is, by normal standards, a disappointing dividend for the former seven-times champion trainer, whose campaign was hampered by a virus problem in his yard during the first half of the campaign.

Nevertheless, a total of just over €1 million in prize money underlines Homeless Songs’ Classic victory as well as Group One success for a two-year-filly he rates as exciting a prospect as he has had during his stellar 50-year career.

Tahiyra’s spectacular Moyglare victory was widely regarded as the highlight of last month’s Champions Weekend action and leaves her favourite for next year’s 1,000 Guineas.

Asked if the half-sister to Breeders’ Cup winner Tarnawa is as promising a talent as he’s had through his hands, Weld replied: “Definitely, definitely.

“She went on her holidays 48 hours after winning the Moyglare because she’s a beautiful, talented filly that, as I indicated before the race, needs to fill and develop into her frame. We’ve an awful lot to look forward to, please God, with her next year.

“Tarnawa progressed every year to wind up as a four- and a five-year- old as the equal highest rated older filly in the world.”

More Group One success could yet be on the cards for the Rosewell House team with the Prix Royal Oak at Longchamp in a fortnight among possible options for the former dual-Irish Leger winner Search For A Song.

Inspiral is ante-post favourite for Saturday’s QE II on a Champions Day programme where Baaeed is the headline act.

The William Haggas-trained star is odds-on to end his racing career unbeaten in the Champion Stakes, which contains opposition such as last year’s Derby and King George winner Adayar.

Saturday’s Ascot action will see the season’s cross-channel championships decided with Haggas chasing Godolphin’s Charlie Appleby for the trainer’s title. William Buick will be crowned champion jockey for the first time.

The Irish Flat season on turf ends at Naas in four weeks and the countdown looks set to be dominated by the race to be champion jockey here.

Billy Lee is one ahead of his rival Colin Keane (81-80) after riding Are We Dreaming to Listed success at the Curragh on Saturday.

Both men travel to Kerry on Monday with Lee on a full book of eight rides compared to Keane’s five.

Paddy Power rate Keane an 8-13 favourite to retain the title while Lee is 6-5 to win for the first time.

Lee could stretch his narrow lead if Way To Win can go one better than his effort at Listowel last time, while Maura’s Gift looks a good chance too in another handicap.

Aidan O’Brien runs both Londoner and Water Nymph in the opening juvenile maiden and the latter, a half-sister to the French Oaks winner Fancy Blue, is worth noting.

The unpredictability of genetics, however, is underlined in the following maiden where Champagne, a 75-rated full sister to the Arc winner Found, is dropped to a mile in an attempt to secure a winning bracket.

O’Brien will also be represented in a Listed race at Yarmouth on Monday when Ryan Moore teams up with the Bellewstown winner Ark. Jessica Harrington’s Fennela also lines up for the 14-furlong Beckford Stakes.

The Ballydoyle team were out of luck in Keeneland on Saturday when Order Of Australia could finish only third in the Grade One Coolmore Mile.

The 2020 Breeders’ Cup winner compromised his chance with a slow start but was still positioned to deliver his challenge in the straight by Christophe Soumillon.

He couldn’t peg back the winner Annapolis though and was touched off for second by Ivar.

“He missed the jump,” was Soumillon’s succinct report to local media at Keeneland.

Soumillon begins a 60-day ban this Friday after his controversial elbowing of Irish jockey Rossa Ryan at Saint-Cloud last week.