O'Brien waits on ground

Aidan O'Brien is waiting on some positive news about the ground at Newmarket before committing his star two-year-old Holy Roman…

Aidan O'Brien is waiting on some positive news about the ground at Newmarket before committing his star two-year-old Holy Roman Emperor to what would be a mouth-watering clash with Teofilo in Saturday's Darley Dewhurst Stakes.

The Ballydoyle trainer has nine of the 25 left in the Group One event but a rematch between Teofilo and Holy Roman Emperor, first and second in the National Stakes last month, would be eagerly anticipated.

Holy Roman Emperor subsequently landed the Prix Jean Luc Lagadere in impressive fashion and with the ground at Newmarket currently good to soft O'Brien said yesterday: "He is in good form and he is still a possible for the Dewhurst. But a lot will depend on the ground and I want to leave it a while before deciding."

The same ground queries will also apply to the rest of O'Brien's Newmarket entries which include Ivan Denisovich in the Champion Stakes and Art Museum who has a choice of the Group Two Challenge Stakes or the Group Three Darley Stakes.

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However, Teofilo, the ante-post favourite for next year's Guineas and Derby, has already been committed to the Dewhurst by trainer Jim Bolger. "He's very well and and I couldn't be happier with him. He'll probably travel to England on Friday," he said.

Bolger also intends to run his Prix Marcel Boussac winner Finsceal Beo in the Group Two Rockfel Stakes, a race which also includes David Wachman's Queen Of France and Impetious (Eamon Tyrrell) among the entries.

Sunday's feature at Naas will be the Birdcatcher Nursery and Aidan O'Brien has a choice of three entries to try and maintain his good record in the six-furlong race. They include Naigani and Great Sphinx who is the joint top-rated with City Of Tribes.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column