Septimus could swerve Gold Cup

DUAL Ascot Gold Cup winner Yeats could have the stage kept clear for a third victory with stablemate and market rival Septimus possibly missing the showpiece event next month.

Yeats will be bidding to emulate Sagaro by landing a hat-trick of wins, but would face a potential stumbling block in Septimus, who marked himself out as one to follow over staying trips in last summer’s Lonsdale and Doncaster Cups.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien said yesterday: “Septimus was half pencilled in for a two-mile race at York next week, but I think Honolulu will run there instead.

“Septimus started off last year in the Coronation Cup (when second) and could go back there, but that is only a possibility.

“Yeats was not quite as good at Ascot last year with two runs before so he might go straight there now.

“He and Septimus are owned by a slightly different combination of people so we might give him the chance of a third Gold Cup and Septimus could go for the Hardwicke Stakes instead.”