Shalapour Leger plans not made yet

John Oxx is yet to decide whether Shalapour will run in the Ladbrokes St Leger on September 10 or wait for the Irish equivalent a week later.

The Aga Khan-owned colt is a general 6-1 shot for the Doncaster contest on the back of his third in the Irish Derby, where he was four lengths behind runner-up and current Leger favourite Scorpion.

Shalapour was subsequently second at Leopardstown and is one of only 10 left in the race, but Oxx told the Racing Post: “We haven’t discussed the matter since the Leger forfeit stage but we will do so in the next four or five days.

“We’ll try to come to a decision sooner rather than later and will probably have a good idea by the middle of next week.

“Either way we face tough opposition. Scorpion will not be easy to beat at Doncaster and we would be really up against it taking him on again, while Vinnie Roe would be very tough to beat at the Curragh.”

Unlike Doncaster, the Irish Field St Leger is open to all ages and Dermot Weld’s Vinnie Roe has won the last four renewals.