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Cup Trip Unlikely For Stunning St Leger Winner

3 minute read

Melbourne Cup entry Order Of St George is unlikely to be seen in Australia this spring despite a stunning 11 lengths win in the Irish St Leger at the Curragh on Sunday.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien indicated he had other targets in mind for Order Of St George despite the St Leger’s long history as a strong Melbourne Cup guide.

O’Brien suggested the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup over two miles at Ascot on October 17 would be the immediate target for the three-year-old who he regards as his next top grade stayer in the class of his past stars such as Yeats, Fame And Glory and Leading Light.

“He’s been getting more impressive with every run this year. It’s unusual to have a stayer that can quicken the way he does,” O’Brien said of the winner.

Despite O’Brien’s intentions UK bookmakers are playing safe, quoting Order Of St George at 14/1 for the Melbourne Cup at Flemington in November on the chance that he make the trip to Australia.

Agent Murphy finished second in the St Leger with other Melbourne Cup entries Wicklow Hill, trained by Willie Mullins, third and Kingfisher (O’Brien) eighth.

Order Of St George completed an amazing 24 hours of Group One success for O’Brien’s Ballydoyle stable.

On Saturday another of O’Brien’s young Melbourne Cup entrants Bondi Beach won the English St Leger at Doncaster before the stable made a clean sweep of three G1 races at the Curragh on Sunday.

Order Of St George was engaged in the Doncaster St Leger before O’Brien made a late switch to his plans on Friday. The Galileo colt was the target of a major gamble on Sunday to start a 5/4 favourite.

He had been beaten a short head by Bondi Beach when resuming in the G3 Curragh Cup before taking a 13-furlong Down Royal conditions event on July 24 and storming to an emphatic Irish St Leger Trial win at his previous start on August 23.

In a sad St Leger aftermath last year’s winner Brown Panther fractured a hind leg during the race and had to be euthanized.

Brown Panther had won 11 of his 25 starts and came to Australia for the 2013 Melbourne Cup, finishing eighth.

Meanwhile Godolphin’s spring carnival stocks may have improved on the weekend after Secret Number, one of five Melbourne Cup entries from Saeed bin Suroor, won the Listed Betfair Stand Cup at Chester.

It was suggested the five-year-old son of Raven's Pass could head to Australia after his first-up win.

Secret Number won the G3 Cumberland Lodge Stakes and a Listed race at Meydan in Dubai in 2013 and was second to subsequent Dubai World Cup winner Prince Bishop in his only start in 2014.

Other weekend results by spring carnival entrants included:-

- Aidan O'Brien's Cox Plate invitee Highland Reel finished fifth in the star studded G1 Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.

- Ánother O’Brien-trained Cox Plate entry Ol’ Man River finished fifth in the G2 Prix Neil at Longchamp on Sunday.

- Melbourne Cup entry Bondi Beach won Saturday’s G1 English Leger at Doncaster for Aidan O’Brien on protest. Stablemate and Cup entry Field Of Anthery finished third.

- Cox Plate entry Lightning Spear, trained by Olly Stevens, finished third in the G2 Boomerang Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.

- The Willie Mullins-trained Clondaw Warrior finished third in the G2 Doncaster Cup on Friday with stablemate Simenon fifth.

- Mark Johnston’s Melbourne Cup entry Oriental Fox finished third in the G3 Gladiateur Stakes at Longchamp on Sunday.

- Peter Chapple-Hyam’s Cox Plate entry Arod was scratched from the G1 Prix Du Moulin at Longchamp due to track conditions. He is now considered unlikely to travel to Australia.

Racing and Sports

Curragh

Sunday, 13th September 2015

6
16:50
(local)

Palmerstown House Estate Irish St. Leger (Group 1) (G1)

Age: 3yo and up WT: 126lbs Type: OPEN
EUR €350,000
1m6f TURF GOOD
6
16:50
(local)
EUR €350,000
1m6f GOOD

Palmerstown House Estate Irish St. Leger (Group 1) (G1)

Age: 3yo and up WT: 126lbs Type: OPEN
FP Horse, Age & Sex
Sire & Dam
Jockey
Trainer
SP
WT
1st 11. ORDER OF ST GEORGE (IRE) 3yo C
GALILEO (IRE) - ANOTHER STORM (USA)
JOSEPH O'BRIEN
AIDAN O'BRIEN
$2.25
126lbs
M TABOR,D SMITH,MRSJ MAGNIER,L WILLIAM

Sales Information

2nd 1. AGENT MURPHY (GB) 4yo H
CAPE CROSS (IRE) - RASKUTANI (GB)
JIMMY FORTUNE
B J MEEHAN
$7
137lbs
MR W A HARRISON-ALLAN

Sales Information

3rd 10. WICKLOW BRAVE (GB) 6yo G
BEAT HOLLOW (GB) - MORAINE (GB)
P TOWNEND
WILLIE MULLINS
$21
137lbs
WICKLOW BLOODSTOCK(IRELAND)LTD

Sales Information

4th 8. SECOND STEP (IRE) 4yo G
DALAKHANI (IRE) - MY DARK ROSALEEN (GB)
JAMIE SPENCER
LUCA CUMANI
$7.5
137lbs

Sales Information

5th 3. FORGOTTEN RULES (IRE) 5yo G
NAYEF (USA) - UTTERLY HEAVEN (IRE)
PAT SMULLEN
DERMOT K WELD
$5.5
137lbs
6th 5. GOSPEL CHOIR (GB) 6yo G
GALILEO (IRE) - CHORIST (GB)
K J MANNING
SIR MICHAEL STOUTE
$26
137lbs
7th 7. SEA MOON (GB) 7yo M
BEAT HOLLOW (GB) - EVA LUNA (USA)
DECLAN MCDONOGH
JOHN M OXX
$21
137lbs
8th 6. KINGFISHER (IRE) 4yo H
GALILEO (IRE) - MYSTICAL LADY (IRE)
SEAMIE HEFFERNAN
AIDAN O'BRIEN
$21
137lbs

Sales Information

9th 9. VENT DE FORCE (GB) 4yo G
HURRICANE RUN (IRE) - CAPRIOLLA (GB)
GEORGE BAKER
H MORRISON
$34
137lbs
10th 4. GOOD TRADITION (IRE) 4yo G
PIVOTAL (GB) - TOKEN GESTURE (IRE)
LEIGH ROCHE
DERMOT K WELD
$101
137lbs

Sales Information

PU 2. BROWN PANTHER (GB) 7yo H
SHIROCCO (GER) - TREBLE HEIGHTS (IRE)
RICHARD KINGSCOTE
TOM DASCOMBE
$7.5
137lbs

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