NEWS: ENGLAND'S NEWEST racecourse could have pulled off a remarkable coup by staging a Breeders Cup Trial for Ireland's top-rated horse, Duke Of Marmalade, later this month.
The authorities at Great Leighs have outlined plans for a €700,000 Breeders Cup Trial night on Saturday week next, and Aidan O'Brien revealed yesterday he is considering a nine-and-a-half furlong conditions race at the Essex track for Duke of Marmalade's next start.
Duke Of Marmalade is a general 4 to 1 favourite for the Breeders Cup Classic at Santa Anita on October 25th, when America's most valuable race will be run on a synthetic surface for the first time.
O'Brien stressed that the five-time Group One winner remains a possibility for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but added: "We could take Duke Of Marmalade to Great Leighs where there is a polytrack surface. The Classic is an option for him."
In the past, the champion trainer has taken stars such as Giants Causeway and Galileo to all-weather tracks in Britain for work-outs ahead of running on the dirt in America.
The record-breaking trainer gave Septimus a clean bill of health after the horse completed a classic grand-slam in Saturday's Irish St Leger and confirmed he would like to run the stayer in November's Melbourne Cup.
O'Brien also revealed the Breeders Cup Turf as an option for Saturday's beaten Doncaster St Leger favourite Frozen Fire.
"It was his first run since the Irish Derby and he was very keen on tacky ground," the trainer said.
