RACING:FAME AND Glory will be aiming to give the Ballydoyle team a Classic double as he leads nine contenders for Saturday's Gain Horse Feeds Irish St Leger at the Curragh.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien is planning to take a helicopter to the track after watching Triple Crown-seeking Camelot try to complete his hat-trick in the Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster.
Fame And Glory could finish only fourth at the Curragh last year and has not run since finishing down the field in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot.
There is a strong British-trained challenge led by John Gosden’s Grand Prix de Chantilly winner Aiken and Brown Panther, who finished second in the English St Leger last year and is part-owned by footballer Michael Owen.
Other notable home-trained contenders include the John Oxx-trained Hartani, who will be ridden by Christophe Lemaire, Willie Mullins’s dual Ascot winner Simenon and Massiyn, who represents Michael Halford.
Johnny Murtagh had been in line to dash back from Doncaster, where he rides Ursa Major in the Leger, to partner stablemate Royal Diamond in the Irish equivalent but Niall McCullagh has now been booked to ride.
Steps To Freedom and Shu Lewis complete the line-up.
Paddy Power odds for the Irish St Leger: Fame And Glory 2/1; Brown Panther 7/2; Aiken 5/1; Hartani 5/1; Royal Diamond 9/1; Massiyn 12/1; Simenon 14/1; Steps To Freedom 20/1; Shu Lewis 50/1.
Excelebration is an absentee from the Qatar Prix du Moulin at Longchamp on Sunday. The defection means Farhh would now appear to have every chance of getting back to winning ways.
