Albert Hall tops Postbill for O’Brien
Albert Hall is one of two trained by Aidan O’Brien, who is seeking his fifth success in the Group One contest for two-year-olds tomorrow.
The Danehill colt, winner of the Group Two Beresford Stakes at the Curragh two weeks ago, will bid to emulate O’Brien’s previous winners - Saratoga Springs (1997), Aristotle (1999), High Chaparral (2001) and Brian Boru (2002).
He will be ridden by Jamie Spencer and be accompanied to post by the stable second string Hills Of Aran, the mount of Colm O’Donoghue.
O’Brien withdrew Scandinavia on Wednesday, the only other horse taken out being Godolphin’s Monsoon Rain.
Simon Crisford, Godolphin’s racing manager, indicated earlier in the week that the son of Old Trieste would miss the mile feature if the ground at Doncaster was considered too soft.
Motivator, trained by Michael Bell, and the mount of Kieren Fallon, a 7-4 chance, holds his prominent position in the market thanks to winning his only start by six lengths at Newmarket in a mile maiden on soft ground in August.
The going on the round course at the Town Moor track is currently soft, heavy in places, while it is good to soft, soft in places on the straight course.
Meanwhile, Alan King is “seriously considering” sending Trouble At Bay to Kempton on Saturday for the RHT 40th Anniversary Hurdle.
The Barbury Castle trainer was not originally keen to run the four-year-old because of the potential presence of leading hurdlers such as Rooster Booster and Intersky Falcon
However, with that pair now set to bypass the race, King is tempted to run his gelding, who took five juvenile hurdles on the spin last season before his final outing, when 10th in the Triumph Hurdle at Cheltenham, where he was sent off favourite.
“He is certainly a possibility,” admitted King yesterday.
“He is in good form, he was on the go all of the last Flat season and had seven runs over hurdles, so he has had a break since Cheltenham.”
King also had news of two of his chasing stars, the ex-French-trained Massac and last year’s useful novice D’Argent, who are both engaged in Sunday’s totesport Wigan Chase at Aintree.
But they are set to swerve the Grade Two event and may run instead at Wetherby next week.
“They definitely won’t run at the weekend,” he said
“D’Argent may run at Wetherby a week on Saturday, and Massac may run there a week on Friday.
“I have been very happy with Massac since I have had him and I will be looking for races between two and two and a half miles for him. The race at Wetherby (The bet365 White Rose Handicap Chase) is over two miles.”
