RACING NEWS: AIDAN O'BRIEN has confirmed his star juvenile filly Lillie Langtry is on course to attempt and secure Group One honours in Sunday's Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh and at the same time gain an automatic start in November's Breeders' Cup in Los Angeles.
The Moyglare is one of four Irish races whose winner gains a guaranteed place in a Breeders’ Cup race at Santa Anita on November 6th-7th, in this case the $1 million juvenile fillies on turf over a mile.
However, O’Brien’s more immediate focus will be on gaining a seventh Group One victory of 2009 with Lillie Langtry who is already an 8 to 1 joint-favourite with Seta in ante-post betting for next year’s 1,000 Guineas.
“The Moyglare is the plan and it is so far so good with her,” the champion trainer said yesterday.
Lillie Langtry landed the Group Two Debutante Stakes at Leopardstown on her previous start and O’Brien has used that race as a warm-up for two of his previous four Moyglare winners – Rumplestiltskin (2005) and Necklace (2003). His other winners of Ireland’s most prestigious race for two-year-old fillies were Quarter Moon in 2001 and Henrythenavigator’s dam Sequoyah in 2000.
Lillie Langtry could end up facing Clive Brittain’s Cherry Hinton winner Misheer with the Newmarket trainer targeting a first Moyglare success in 17 years since Sayyedati in 1992.
Jim Bolger is a past Moyglare winner with Priory Belle (1995) and Park Appeal 25 years ago and he has nominated Gile Na Greine as a possible runner in the race after Cuis Ghaire’s sister made a winning debut at the Curragh’s last meeting.
Shakespearean has been nominated as a likely runner in one of the Goffs Million races at the Curragh on September 27th after Mark Johnston’s colt landed the Group Three Solario Stakes at Sandown last Saturday.
The Racing Post Trophy and the Dewhurst are also possible targets for the Shamardal colt but Johnston said: “He’s entered in the Goffs Million and that will likely be his next start. The big galloping track will suit him and there is big money on offer.”
With the Doncaster Leger run a week later than its usual clash with the Irish Champion Stakes this year, Johnny Murtagh could be available to try to break his duck in the world’s oldest Classic.
Murtagh will have a strong Aidan O’Brien-trained team to pick from as the Grand Prix de Paris runner-up, Age Of Aquarius, is currently a 7 to 2 second favourite with the race sponsors, Ladbrokes, while last week’s unlucky Ebor runner-up, Changingoftheguard, is an 8 to 1 shot. Godolphin’s Kite Wood is currently a 5 to 2 favourite.
With the weather continuing to play havoc with the Irish racing calendar, Sligo is scheduled to hold a course inspection at 8am this morning ahead of tomorrow’s evening fixture.
Niall Madden issued a positive update after having undergone a second round of surgery on a broken arm. The Grand National-winning rider had stepped in for Paul Carberry on Carlesimo in a Killarney chase earlier in the month, but his mount crashed out at the first fence.
Madden fractured his arm in two places and on Friday went under the knife for a second time. He said: “I got home (on Sunday morning) – the arm is fine just a bit sore. They just had to re-plate the ulna and hopefully I’ll be back soon.
“My doctor said we should know after a month’s time as to how quickly it’s healing.”
