NEW APPROACH capped an excellent day at Leopardstown for trainer Jim Bolger and jockey Kevin Manning by winning the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes yesterday.
The Leopardstown card was saved and transferred to Sunday after being abandoned due to the heavy conditions. And with Duke Of Marmalade a non-runner due to the prevailing testing conditions New Approach was sent off the 8-13 favourite. Bolger’s Vodafone Derby winner landed the Group One contest by half a length from 50-1 shot Traffic Guard, who was closing at the finish.
Bolger immediately pinpointed the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and the Breeders’ Cup as end-of-season targets for the Galileo colt. He said: “He was only doing what he had to do and Kevin confirmed that he had bundles in the tank.
“It was a nice, easy race for him and he should come out of it well. He’s in the Champion Stakes at Newmarket, he’s in the Arc and he’s also in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He’ll probably run in two of those three.”
New Approach is still a 12-1 chance with Ladbrokes for the Arc at Longchamp on October 5, while Paddy Power offer 20-1 about him winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Earlier Bolger had landed the other Group One contest, the Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes, with Lush Lashes. The Irish trainer added: “There’s now the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket, the Prix de l’Opera at Longchamp and the Hong Kong Cup that Alexander Goldrun won.
“The Breeders’ Cup is also a possibility. I would think she will remain in training next year.”
For once Aidan O’Brien had to take a back-seat in the day’s Group One contests with Henrythenavigator losing his unbeaten tag for the season when he could finish only fifth to Goldikova in the Prix du Moulin at Longchamp.
O’Brien was looking for his 19th Grouo One win of the season but from a bad draw in 11 and on ground softer than ideal Henrythenavigator could only stay on for fifth.
O’Brien said: “He is a fast-ground horse and speed is his big attribute, but that was blunted and he could never get into top gear. We’ll have a look at options now and we will have to consider Ascot for the QEII, and longer term the Breeders’ Cup.”
O’Brien also said the Arc and the Breeders’ Cup were possible targets for Duke Of Marmalade. He added: “We will have to look at plans and the Arc is a race we will have to look at. Soldier Of Fortune definitely goes there and we will consider Duke – as well as looking at the Breeders’ Cup. The Duke has had a tough season and we didn’t want to subject him to soft ground, with the rest of the year in mind.”
Meanwhile Ladbrokes will sponsor the rearranged Sprint Cup which will be run at Doncaster on St Leger day this Saturday after heavy rain forced Haydock to abandon their scheduled card at the weekend.
Despite all the hard work by clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright and his team at the Merseyside track, they had no option but to abandon after the huge amount of rain which fell in the lead-up to Saturday.
With Ladbrokes now sponsoring the six-furlong Sprint, Betfred will now support the Lester Piggott race-day on September 27 at Haydock.
TODAY’S NAP: Palais Polaire (3.20pm Folkestone).
