RACING:INJURY PREVENTED So You Think from getting Aidan O'Brien into double-figures for Group One wins this season in Saturday's Eclipse but the champion trainer could go international this week in a bid to continue his hugely-successful top-flight run in 2012.
The top-filly Maybe is rated a 6 to 1 second favourite by some layers to win Friday’s Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket while potential remains for a trans-Atlantic double the following day.
Imperial Monarch has Saturday’s Grand Prix de Paris, the €600,000 Bastille Day feature at Longchamp, as an option after not making the Irish Derby line-up while some reports in America suggest Treasure Beach is a probable for Belmont’s Man O’War Stakes later that night.
Cape Blanco began a triple-Grade One run in the US in last year’s Man O’War and Treasure Beach, out of the money in his last start in Hong Kong’s QEII Cup in April, also carries the Fitri Hay colours this season.
The 2011 Irish Derby hero is already an experienced international campaigner having won last year’s Secretariat at Arlington and also finishing third in the Canadian International at Woodbine.
O’Brien has a number of entries in Saturday’s Darley July Cup at Newmarket and bookmakers betting on the Irishman beating Bobby Frankel’s world record tally of 25 Group/Grade One wins in a year will be keeping a close eye on what happens over what could emerge as a vital 36 hours.
Camelot’s Irish Derby success was O’Brien’s ninth top-class victory of the year and William Hill already go 10 to 1 about him breaking Frankel’s record.
“Aidan O’Brien has nine Group 1s on the board but we are happy to offer 10 to 1 about the Ballydoyle master reaching 26 by the end of 2012,” said a spokesman. “Frankel was a legend . . . and his record of 25 in 2003 was an awesome achievement.”
Speaking Of Which is another Irish star that could be on his travels soon. Dermot Weld pulled the nine-length Gallinule Stakes winner out of the Irish Derby due to the very soft ground and Stan Cosgrove, manger of the owner’s Moyglare Stud, said yesterday that the Grade One Secretariat at Arlington next month is on the agenda.
“He might go to Secretariat in Arlington next month over a mile and a quarter,” said Cosgrove who confirmed the Irish Oaks later this month is on the cards for Moyglare’s impressive Ribblesdale Stakes winner Princes Highway.
Another talented filly under the Moyglare banner is the four-year-old Sapphire who found a 1¼ miles on the short side when runner-up to Izzi Top in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh.
“She ran well behind Izzi Top but the mile and a quarter was too short for her,” said Cosgrove. ”
