Fame And Glory to drop in class and trip for next assignment
Aidan O’Brien’s five-year-old stepped up to two and a half miles for the first time in the Gold Cup but oozed class in beating Opinion Poll, who subsequently won the Goodwood Cup, by three lengths.
His next race will be over a mile and three-quarters in the Listed event as O’Brien builds towards a possible crack at the Arc.
The trainer’s wife, Annemarie, tweeted: “Fame And Glory will hopefully have his next run in the Ballycullen Stakes at the Curragh on August 20.”
There was also news on Man o’War winner Cape Blanco and Recital, absent since finishing sixth in the Derby.
“Cape Blanco is so far on target to travel to Chicago for the Arlington Million on August 13. Recital is just back from a little break and could have his first outing in about four to six weeks,” she added.
So You Think meanwhile m is set to have his next start in the Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on September 3.
Aidan O’Brien’s Australian import has won three of his four races since moving to Europe, with his sole defeat coming against the ill-fated Rewilding in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.
So You Think bounced back to win the Eclipse at Sandown and while he holds an entry in the Juddmonte International at York later this month, Coolmore Australia racing manager Tom Magnier said that Leopardstown was his likely destination.
“There are plenty of options for him,” Magnier said. “His next run is going to be in the Irish Champion Stakes. He can run in that and then go into quarantine if he was to come here. But there are a couple of other races that the trainer could run him in as well.”
Although So You Think is still under consideration for a return Down Under to bid for a third consecutive Cox Plate success, Man o’War Stakes winner Cape Blanco is a more likely contender from the Ballydoyle brigade.
“He (Cape Blanco) is the horse that the trainer thinks is suitable for the race,” Magnier told The Age.
“There are still a few issues we need to get organised before any horse would be coming. I will be talking to Aidan in the next couple of days, but we are keeping our options open with both horses.”
