Approach rested after bad scope
The Jim Bolger-trained, Godolphin-owned 2000 Guineas and St James’s Palace Stakes winner was eased by Kevin Manning once his chance had gone in Sunday’s red-hot Deauville showpiece, eventually finishing fifth.
The New Approach colt was running just 11 days after going down narrowly to Toronado in the Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
Godolphin racing manager Simon Crisford told www.godolphin.com: “Jim Bolger told me that Dawn Approach scoped with mucus after the race but he had been fine when tested before he left Ireland on Saturday.
“Dawn Approach is now on a course of antibiotics and will be rested until all is well with him.”
Meanwhile, plans are fluid for Rite Of Passage, who has not raced since returning from a 510 day absence to land the Long Distance Cup last year, missed out on the Ascot Gold Cup in June due to fast ground.
Speaking on Monday, Weld said: “Rite Of Passage is in good order although, as always because of his history of leg problems, it is a day-to-day process with him.
“There are no definite plans just yet but the races we’ll be considering for him are the Irish St Leger and/or the Prix du Cadran with the Long Distance Cup another possible target. However, the Irish St Leger Trial at the Curragh will probably come a bit too soon for him.”
Weld also revealed Sapphire, who took the Group 2 Qipco British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes, is on target to tackle that same event again.
“She was held up this year because of a training setback but we’re hoping to have her back before the end of the season. We’d like to send her back for the Ascot race which is now a Group 1. She relishes soft ground,” he said.
Aidan O’Brien decided to skip an intended racecourse gallop with Kingsbarns at the Curragh on Sunday for fear of jeopardising the progress the colt has made in recent weeks.
An impressive winner of the Racing Post Trophy last season, Kingsbarns has not yet raced as a three-year-old after suffering an early-season setback when being prepared for the Classics.
O’Brien had entered him in the Royal Whip, subsequently won by Mark Johnston’s Maputo, but opted to sidestep that engagement in favour of a racecourse spin.
However, that plan was scuppered by fast ground at the Irish track.
“Obviously everyone knows he is just coming back, but we are really happy and we’d be really sick if, just for the sake of working him, we jarred him in anyway,” said O’Brien.
“He’s super, moving great and physically he has done great. We’re very excited about him and hopefully we can keep the progress going forward. If we stopped it here for the sake of working him, we’d be very sick for the rest of the year.”
Meanwhile, Eddie Lynam will check on the condition of Slade Power over the next week before deciding where to run his four-year-old sprinter next after his latest victory.
The Dutch Art colt captured his second Group Three success of the campaign when lifting the Phoenix Sprint Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday.
He holds entries in the Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes at York, the Flying Five and the Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh and the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock but Lynam has yet to decide on a target.
“He’s very well. Obviously he’s got the Haydock race and there’s the Curragh and York as well, so we will just have to see how he is over the next week or two,” said Lynam.
The Co Meath handler already has a leading contender for the Nunthorpe on Friday week in the shape of Sole Power, winner of the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.
“He’s very good and heading for York next week,” said Lynam.
