Fame back on glory trail
The five-year-old suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Fictional Account in the trial race at the Curragh last month, but is widely expected to right the record for Aidan O’Brien.
Paddy Power make him their clear market leader and offer 12-1 about Fictional Account, who reopposes for Vincent Ward after being supplemented for the race.
O’Brien also has Apache in the field while Dermot Weld’s Sense Of Purpose is the other leading home-trained challenger.
Curragh sixth Waydownsouth is a rank outsider for Patrick Flynn.
The British challenge appears strong with Mark Johnston’s Jukebox Jury the 9-2 second-favourite after his recent Group Two victory in France.
* Dragon Pulse and Talwar have been added to the field for the Goffs National Stakes, also at the Curragh on Saturday.
The former, who is trained by Jessie Harrington, won the Futurity Stakes at the track last month, while Jeremy Noseda’s Talwar landed the Solario at Sandown.
The latter is also engaged in the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster on the same day, as is Aidan O’Brien’s Power, winner of the Coventry Stakes and second in the Phoenix last time.
O’Brien also has Futurity second Astrology among his 10 possibles along with Choir, Crusade, Daddy Longlegs, David Livingston, Furner’s Green, Reply, Tenth Star and Vault.
* Kieren Fallon is to ride Brown Panther in Saturday’s Ladbrokes St Leger at Doncaster.
The title-chasing jockey steps in for the mount aboard the Tom Dascombe-trained runner after his recent second in the Geoffrey Freer at Newbury, replacing Richard Kingscote, who has ridden the colt on all seven of his previous starts.
* Zoffany is among just seven horses to have stood their ground for Saturday’s APC Industrial Services Park Stakes at Doncaster.
Aidan O’Brien’s colt chased home Frankel in the St James’s Palace Stakes earlier in the season before also taking second in a French Group One.
However, he is on something of a retrieval mission after flopping in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last time.
Last year’s winner Balthazaar’s Gift is in the reckoning once again, as is 2009 hero Duff, who represents Irish trainer Edward Lynam.
Dafeef, Premio Loco and The Cheka are also among the confirmations along with Eton Forever.
The latter is a far from certain runner, though, with Roger Varian also eyeing a crack at the AgriArgo UK Tractor Challenge Handicap later on the same card.
“He’s in a handicap at Doncaster and I would think that would be the more likely option,” he said.
“We have all week to think about it, though.
“I would like decent ground for him, but I don’t think he would want it too soft.”
