Yeats poised to give O’Brien a Leger first
The Ballydoyle maestro is represented by red-hot favourite Yeats, who will face seven rivals in the all-aged Classic for which he is a 1-3 chance with William Hill.
Tony Kenny, Irish spokesman for the Leeds-based firm, said “Yeats is possibly the best staying Flat horse we’ve seen for a long time and it would be a massive shock if he gets turned over at the Curragh tomorrow.”
Kieren Fallon is looking forward to getting back on board as the six-times champion was forced to watch from the sidelines with Mick Kinane doing the steering when the five-year-old coasted to success in the Goodwood Cup.
However Fallon regains the ride today and is confident Yeats can build on his Ascot Gold Cup win and add another Group One to his record before a possible tilt at the Melbourne Cup.
“I’m looking forward to getting back on him,” he said. “He’s a horse who’s done nothing wrong all his life, all he’s done is please us. His successes this year have been great.
“He won the Coronation Cup over a mile and a half last year, he’s won over further this year so I don’t think the trip will be a problem and he’s a horse that goes on any ground – I’m quietly confident.
“He won easy at Goodwood last time and the second horse (Geordieland) has franked the form by running well in the Ebor with a big weight,” he told At The Races.
Yeats was fourth, beaten less than two lengths by Collier Hill, in last year’s renewal of the all-aged Classic, with Fallon blaming himself for the defeat.
“I didn’t have my finest hour in the Leger last year, he should have won the race but we got squeezed up and I couldn’t make my run when I wanted to. He hardly came off the bridle,” he said.
“He’s a better horse this year I think. It’s not the best Leger that’s ever been run, so we’ve got a great chance.”
Yeats has been well backed in Australia for the Melbourne Cup, and Hills have been forced to cut him to 6-1 from 7-1 even though he is set to carry top weight.
Asked whether he was the type of horse for ‘the race that stops a nation’, Fallon added: “He’s a horse that travels and you can see what he’s done over various distances on all types of ground, so I don’t think anything would be a problem for this horse.”
Among the opposition to Yeats at the Curragh is Howard Johnson’s Yorkshire Cup winner Percussionist.
The five-year-old is being tuned up for a novice chase campaign but as he showed on the Knavesmire in May, the one-time Derby fourth is still more than useful on the level and Declan McDonagh, currently leading the Irish jockeys championship, comes in for a useful spare ride.
“It’s nice to get the ride,” said McDonagh.
“Kevin O’Ryan, my agent, told me the good news and obviously I was very pleased.
“He seems a good, tough horse and he’s had a nice break which seems to be the key to him.
“I haven’t spoken to Mr Johnson yet regarding plans but I’m sure I’ll be speaking to him this evening.
“He has the beating of Kastoria strictly on the form of the Yorkshire Cup and the ground should be ideal. Yeats will be hard to beat though.
“I’m having a marvellous season, everything is going great, I couldn’t wish for any more but it would be nice to win tomorrow.”
John Oxx runs the consistent mare Kastoria, who has only been outside the first two once in her 10-race career.
Unfortunately that came in the Yorkshire Cup behind Percussionist, although Oxx believes the testing ground that day was to blame.
“Everything has gone fine with her, she’s had an uninterrupted preparation and she’s in good form, ready to run a good race,” he said.
“It looks the logical race for her, she gets the trip well and she’s had a good season. It’s worth having a go at. She’s won at lesser levels and it looks a good chance to try to get in the money in a Group One.
“Her run in the Yorkshire Cup was the only time she has run a little below her form, but it was very testing ground on the day and they went a good gallop.
“Also Percussionist and Sergeant Cecil, who fought it out, are two very good stayers who get the trip well. I think she gets a mile and six though. Looking back at it she maybe wasn’t quite right.
“I’d imagine we’ve got a good chance of getting a place on good ground which might help us turn the tables on Percussionist, he would prefer it softer.
“She’s done us proud, especially if she can get in the money tomorrow. She is in the Prix de Royallieu at Longchamp again in which she was second last year and that could be her last run. She owes us nothing.”
