Eagle cut for Leger but Aqaleem doubt

Aug 13 2007 by Chris Wright, Liverpool Daily Post

EAGLE Mountain was cut for the Ladbrokes St Leger following victory in the United Arab Emirates Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.

But one of the ante-post market leaders for the final Classic of the campaign, Aqaleem, is not yet a definite runner for the Doncaster showpiece on September 15.

Having been placed in both the English and Irish Derbies, Eagle Mountain – sent off the 4-5 favourite – scored a deserved success when beating Alexander Tango by two and a half lengths in Ireland yesterday.

The Group Two victory provided some consolation for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Kieren Fallon after the defeat of another short-priced favourite, the highly-rated juvenile Henrythenavigator, who was beaten by 25-1 outsider Saoirse Abu in Independent Waterford Wedgewood Phoenix Stakes later on the card at the Curragh.

VCbet cut O’Brien’s Rock Of Gibraltar colt to 14-1 from 20-1 following yesterday’s victory with sponsors Ladbrokes and Stan James offering 20-1.

It remains to be seen whether Eagle Mountain heads for the 1m6f Group One contest next month, with O’Brien having a host of possibles including two of the market leaders, Soldier Of Fortune (4-1 Ladbrokes, Paddy Power, bet365) and Mahler (6-1 Stan James).

On yesterday’s win the Ballydoyle handler said: “Kieren said he’s a much better horse coming from behind. His dad (Rock Of Gibraltar) was like that too. Kieren said he gets a fast-run mile-and-a-quarter but he’d get a mile and a half ridden to stay it.

“You would have to consider the Irish Champion Stakes and races like that but we have to decide whether to give him a rest before that or look for something at the back end.”

Meanwhile Aqaleem, a best-priced 9-2 with Coral for the St Leger, was reported as not certain to head for the Classic.

Marcus Tregoning’s colt won the Lingfield Derby Trial en route to finishing third in the Epsom Classic itself.

The Sinndar colt was then a slightly unlucky in running second in the Gordon Stakes at Glorious Goodwood behind another O’Brien possible Yellowstone, who is 9-1 with Skybet for the Leger.

Owner Shiekh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s racing manager Angus Gold said: “I don’t think there are any doubts that he will stay the trip at Doncaster, certainly not if you look at his pedigree and nobody has ever questioned the fact that he might not (stay).

“I must make the point before everybody backs him that Sheikh Hamdan has yet to confirm that he will run in the Leger. We will wait and see how the horse is nearer the time. We must also remember that he is a very physically immature horse and the Leger could be too much for him at this stage of his career.”

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