Murtagh hoping Jukebox is Leger hit

Johnny Murtagh is better placed than most to assess Saturday’s Irish Field St Leger at the Curragh as he bids to get the better of former ally Fame And Glory on the Mark Johnston-trained Jukebox Jury.

The ex-Ballydoyle stable jockey partnered Fame And Glory to four Group One victories, with the clear highlight success in the Irish Derby.

This season trainer Aidan O’Brien has successfully turned the classy performer into a top-class stayer, landing the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, before a shock defeat over course and distance last month.

He will be long odds-on to return to winning ways this weekend, but Murtagh feels his mount Jukebox Jury, winner of the Prix Kergorlay at Deauville last time, has plenty going for him.

“I was very impressed with him the last time in Deauville,” Murtagh told At The Races.

“The ground at the Curragh is going to be on the soft side, but he’s by Montjeu so I don’t think he’ll mind it.

“He likes to run up there with the pace. He’s a typical Mark Johnston horse - there are no quirks with him, he’s straightforward.

“If there’s pace he can sit second, if there’s no pace he can go on himself.

“It looks competitive, but I think he will enjoy the Curragh, the big, open spaces and a small field.

“He has a lot in his favour. Hopefully, he’ll give me my first Leger. I’ve not won a Leger, either in Ireland or England.

“Fame And Glory is probably the one we have to beat.”

The horse who inflicted the surprise defeat on Fame And Glory last time was Vincent Ward's reopposing stable star Fictional Account.

Ward has been thrilled with his mare since that notable success, but he admits the prospect of testing conditions is a major concern.

He said: “She’s in very good order and has come out of her last run great, but the ground would be a concern.

“She would cope with a bit of ease all right but if it ends up soft that would be against her as she’s a different filly on a faster surface – she just floats over the ground.

“It’s only a small field and she’s entitled to take her chance as she’s a mare who has improved with age.

“I hope she’ll run a credible race, but I would prefer better ground.”

Joining Jukebox Jury on the journey from Britain are the John Gosden-trained Duncan and Ed Dunlop’s Red Cadeaux.

Duncan won the Yorkshire Cup earlier in the season but his connections admit they too would prefer better ground for this weekend’s assignment.

Owner Philippa Cooper said: “We’re going over at the weekend and my worry would be if it got too heavy.

“I would really wish for good ground as if it gets softer, it plays into the hands of the others.”

In contrast, Dunlop will be delighted if conditions continue to deteriorate.

Although well beaten by Jukebox Jury across the Channel last time, Red Cadeaux’s emphatic Curragh Cup triumph gives his trainer reason to be optimistic.

“Red Cadeaux has almost four lengths to find with Jukebox Jury on Prix Kergorlay running, but the ground will be much softer than it was at Deauville and will hopefully enable us to get much closer,” the trainer told his website www.edunlop.com.

“He produced arguably his most impressive performance when winning the Curragh Cup over this course and distance when the ground was really testing so, while we face a stiff task against Fame And Glory and company, there are not too many opportunities for a horse like him, and with conditions ideal we are going for gold.”

The six-runner field is completed by rank outsider Waydownsouth.