SEA THE STARS (Cape Cross [Ire]), the first horse to complete the Two
Thousand Guineas(Eng-G1)/Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) double since Nashwan in 1989, will
not bid for the elusive Triple Crown after trainer John Oxx ruled the dual
classic winner out of running in the St Leger (Eng-G1) at Doncaster September
12.
“We discussed the possibility of a Doncaster St Leger entry, but decided
against it,” Oxx told Racing Post. “Sea The Stars will continue to race
over a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half for the rest of the season,
starting with the Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) on Saturday. The plan is to run at
Sandown, with the proviso that the ground will be suitable for him. That proviso
is always there as far as he is concerned, as he needs really good or
good-to-firm ground.”
Trainer Luca Cumani is hopeful of a big run from last year’s Derby Italiano
(Ity-G1) hero CIMA DE TRIOMPHE (Galileo [Ire]) after the four-year-old put the
finishing touches to his Eclipse preparations at Newmarket Tuesday.
“He did his last bit of work (Tuesday) morning, where he went six furlongs in
company with two other horses,” Cumani explained. “He’s in good form and we are
going there hopeful of a good run, but we are under no illusions as to the
difficulty of the task. We still have 12 furlongs as an option for him at
another time, but this will be tough because there will be plenty of pace in the
race. We were slightly disappointed with his run in the (Prix) Ganay (Fr-G1)
with how the race worked out, but the form has been boosted by Vision d’Etat (Chichicasteango)
(winning the Prince of Wales’s S. [Eng-G1] at Royal Ascot).”
Meanwhile, jockey Jimmy Fortune has bagged the plum ride aboard RIP VAN
WINKLE (Galileo [Ire]) in the Eclipse. Johnny Murtagh, who was aboard in all
five prior lifetime starts — including a pair of fourth-place finishes in the
May 2 Two Thousand Guineas and June 6 Epsom Derby — failed in his bid to
overturn a ban incurred during the Royal Ascot.
“It’s great news and I’m delighted,” said Fortune of getting the chance to
ride the winner of last year’s Tyro S (Ire-G3). “Dropping back to a mile and a
quarter should suit him and I should think he has a great chance.”
With Britain currently in the grip of a heatwave, concerns over the state of
Sandown’s ground for Saturday’s race were allayed by the track’s director of
racing, Andrew Cooper.
“Friday looks the first sign of us having any rain this week,” Cooper told PA
Sport. “The view we’ve taken is that we should do enough, irrigation-wise, so we
go in to Thursday night on good-to-firm ground. If we catch some rain, it
shouldn’t ease too much, but if we don’t, it shouldn’t be rattling-fast ground.”