Museum doubtful for Middle Park
Trainer Aidan O’Brien is worried about a stone bruise suffered by the unbeaten son of Storm Cat.
“We are struggling a bit with him. He’s got a stone bruise. We’ll just have to see how he is,” he said.
Art Museum won a Listed race at the Curragh recently, the same contest stablemate Ad Valorem took last season before going on to lift this Group One.
Mick Kinane is set to take the ride on Art Museum with Kieren Fallon on Ivan Denisovich, O’Brien’s other runner in today’s six-furlong feature.
Connections of the Danehill colt put his two-length defeat by Silca’s Sister in the Prix Morny at Deauville last month down to the soft ground.
“He’s in good form. Kieren said he didn’t like that terrible ground at Deauville. It will be interesting to see what he does tomorrow,” said O’Brien.
Fallon is hoping the weather stays dry for Ivan Denisovich, who is 2-1 favourite with Cashmans.
“I wouldn’t want any more rain. I’d be very confident if it didn’t rain,” he said.
“He hated the ground in France last time, but he’s a proper horse.”
Just a nose behind Ivan Denisovich in third place at Deauville was Always Hopeful, and his trainer Eoghan O’Neill is looking for a good run from the John Fretwell-owned colt.
The Newark-based handler has already plundered the Group Two Richmond Stakes with the son of Mind Games.
“It was a good run on bad ground in France. We were just behind Ivan Denisovich that day and I’d be hopeful of turning the tables. It is another Group One race so it’s going to be tough,” he said.
“We’re small fry in a big pan. We’re very happy with him and we’re always hopeful.”
Always Hopeful was beaten five lengths by another Middle Park runner, Classic Encounter, on his debut at Newmarket in May but O’Neill expects a different outcome this time.
“Classic Encounter beat us first time out but he’d had a run. I had expected us to finish in the first three but not to beat Classic Encounter. A lot has happened since then,” he added.
“We’re only a small yard and it’s a big day for us.”
Classic Encounter will be a first Group One runner for former Luca Cumani assistant David Simcock.
The Newmarket trainer reports the horse to be in fine form despite being off the track for 15 weeks after picking up a leg injury when third to Masta Plasta in the Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot at York.
“He’s in very good form,” said Simcock. “He picked up his injury during the race at York. It was a stress fracture of his right-hind tibia.
“Thankfully he recovered very quickly. We were able to keep him walking and he’s been back in work about a month.”
Simcock is worried about conditions though and does not want soft going as Classic Encounter’s stamina could be pushed to the limit as he tries six furlongs for the first time.
“The big question mark is the trip - we are going into the unknown and we wouldn’t want any more rain. We had 3.5 millimetres on Wednesday night at Newmarket,” he added.
“He’s very quick but he’s very relaxed at the moment. Physically and mentally he’s done very well since York - we just need a bit of luck tomorrow.”
: 2-1 Ivan Denisovich, 7-2 Prince Of Light, 4-1 Art Museum, 8-1 Always Hopeful, Amadeus Wolf, 9-1 Red Clubs, 20-1 Classic Encounter, 33-1 Johnny Alpha, 50-1 Guest Connections.
: 9-4 Ivan Denisovich, 3-1 Art Museum, 5-1 Always Hopeful, 6-1 Amadeus Wolf, 13-2 Prince Of Light, 9-1 Red Clubs, 28-1 Classic Encounter, 33-1 Johnny Alpha, 501 Guest Connections.
