St Leger report: Plans to run Yeats in the Emirates Melbourne Cup are on hold after he suffered a shock defeat in the Irish Field St Leger on Saturday.
Aidan O'Brien's star was a 2 to 7 chance for the Curragh Classic following his wins in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot and the Goodwood Cup.
But after being sent to the front fully five furlongs out by Kieren Fallon, Yeats was caught close home and beaten half a length by Kastoria.
Last week the five-year-old was backed from 12 to 1 into half the odds with Australian firms for the 'race that stops a nation'.
However, O'Brien will assess the horse's condition over the next few days before making a decision about running at Flemington on November 7th.
"He was a little bit stiff this morning but in good form," O'Brien said. "He was just led out today so we'll see how he is over the next few days.
"Probably the reality of it was Yeats was trained for high summer - the middle of Ascot and two and a half miles - and basically that was his Derby this year and maybe he's gone back a bit. "Yesterday it was a slow enough pace early. Kieren went early and tried to drag it and he kept going well and they pulled well clear of the third.
"The mare is good, there is no doubt about that, but maybe Yeats just wants a little bit of a break and we'll know over the next few days.
"I think we have about 10 days or two weeks to go into quarantine for Australia. We had planned on arriving in Australia two weeks before the race.
"Obviously if he had won impressively yesterday with all the sparkle that he had before we'd have been very bullish and going that way, but Kieren just thought the kick that was there before just wasn't there." Yeats is 7 to 1 for the Melbourne Cup.
Mick Kinane rode the perfect waiting race on Kastoria, the John Oxx-trained 6 to 1 chance to pick up Yeats in the last 50 yards and win by half a length.
The Whistling Teal (20 to 1), second 12 months ago, plugged on to take third place for Newmarket trainer Geoff Wragg some 10 lengths further back.
Yeats was quickly away, but Howard Johnson's British raider Percussionist went on after a furlong. The latter continued to lead with Yeats close up, Fracas in third and the Aga Khan-owned Kastoria tracking the leaders until Fallon decided to take the bull by the horns and go on fully five furlongs from home.
It was a move that looked like paying off as Fallon and O'Brien sought their first Irish Leger triumph. However, Kastoria would not be denied and she collared Yeats in the closing stages.
"I thought we would run Yeats close as her homework has been terrific lately and she was receiving 3lb," said Oxx.
"She's had a very good season and just seems to have improved a bit. We expected a big run - we couldn't expect to beat Yeats but felt we could run him close. She keeps pulling out a bit more when she's got a target to follow. We were hopeful there was a big run in her."
