Aidan O'Brien has opened up the intriguing possibility of a pre-Breeders' Cup clash between Giant's Causeway and the American champion Fusaichi Pegasus in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park, New York.
The Belmont race on October 14th is a Grade one race over 10 furlongs on dirt and O'Brien yesterday nominated the race as a possible alternative to his "iron horse" running in Newmarket's Dubai Champion Stakes.
Michael Tabor, the part owner of Giant's Causeway, has already outlined how his Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe favourite Montjeu could also take in the Newmarket race after Sunday's Longchamp highlight and a clash between the two horses would have to be considered unlikely.
Giant's Causeway failed in his attempt to notch up a sixth consecutive Group one victory in Ascot's Queen Elizabeth II Stakes last weekend but has come out of the race well.
"He's a possible for the Champion Stakes, that's all," O'Brien said of Giant's Causeway yesterday. "He might go to Belmont on October 14th for their 10 furlong race on dirt. We will see closer to the time."
The Jockey Club Gold Cup has a $1 million prizefund and is being used by some of the top American runners as a "prep" for the Breeder Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on November 4th. That race is also a target for Giant's Causeway but O'Brien agreed that a tilt at the New York race would give his Storm Cat colt a valuable first experience of racing on a dirt surface.
Fusaichi Pegasus, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and a hugely expensive stallion acquisition by the Coolmore Stud, won the Jerome Handicap on his reappearance at Belmont on Saturday.
The Mr Prospector colt, who was beaten in the Preakness on his last start before the weekend, is being trained for the Breeders Cup and his trainer Neil Drysdale was quoted afterwards: "It puts us into a position to run again before the Breeders Cup and the Jockey Club Gold Cup is certainly one of our options."
O'Brien also indicated yesterday that his Heinz 57 Phoenix Stakes winner Minardi could be the one to fly the Ballydoyle flag in Thursday's Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.
"Minardi is a possible and we might have more than one runner in the race," O'Brien said before giving an update on his unbeaten 2,000 Guineas favourite Hemingway.
"The colt is back cantering and he is still a possible for the Dewhurst Stakes or the Racing Post Trophy," he said.
Before that the Ballydoyle trainer plans to be represented in Group races at Longchamp this weekend with Hardy, Rostropovich and the two-year-old Sligo Bay. O'Brien also intends to be represented in Sunday's Prix Marcel Boussac.
