| Subject: Motivator下仗有意在愛爾蘭冠軍錦標與愛什麼碰頭(轉貼自Racing Post,詳細內容請見內文) |
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Lincoln
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Date Posted: 01:34:19 07/26/05 Tue
Author Host/IP: pcd570006.netvigator.com/218.102.102.6
Motivator poised to clash with Azamour
by David Lawrence and Tony O'Hehir
MOTIVATOR is poised to take on Saturday's brilliant King George winner Azamour in the Baileys Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on September 10, setting up a mouthwatering clash of the generations.
The Michael Bell-trained five-length Derby winner bypassed the weekend's Newbury highlight after suffering the first defeat of his career in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown this month, a reverse his handler attributed mainly to the stop-start pace.
However, he has been pleasing connections as they have eased him back into exercise since and on Sunday, after digesting Azamour's King George-winning performance, Bell committed his colt to a head-to-head against the John Oxx-trained four-year-old, who beat a stellar field in the Group 1 contest last season.
Bell said: "All being well, Motivator will run next in the Irish Champion, and then we'll aim at the Arc, which is very much the holy grail we're hoping to find at the end of the season.
"We're sitting on him quietly at the moment, just giving him three or four easy canters a week, but we plan to start cranking him up again at the beginning of August.
"That then gives us a month or so to get him primed for Leopardstown on September 10 and we've also put Temple Place inthe Irish Champion as a pacemaker to ensure there's no hanging about."
Bell added: "There's no doubt that Azamour is a top-class horse and that, combined with his top-class trainer and jockey (Mick Kinane), will ensure he is tough to beat.
"You had to be impressed with him on Saturday, but I think it's worth noting that the first two home were the last two turning into the straight and that suggests those ridden closer to the front went off too fast.
"With all due respect to the other horses who ran in the Eclipse, I'm convinced it was the muddling pace that got Motivator beaten at Sandown and we want to make certain that doesn't happen in the Irish Champion.
"We want to ensure a good, solid, even gallop at Leopardstown, and that's why we have entered Temple Place."
Azamour's trainer John Oxx on Sunday confirmed that the star four-year-old had come out of Newbury in fine shape and that Leopardstown would be the target given suitable going conditions.
He said: "The Irish Champion Stakes looks the obvious race to go for. It is close to home and the plan is to try and win it for the second year running. The Leopardstown race comes three weeks before the Arc and fits in nicely.
"As we are going to miss York, Azamour will leave a nice interval between Saturday's race and the Irish Champion.
"Mind you, if the ground happened to turn up soft then we might have to have a re-think, but that is unlikely for Leopardstown early in September.
"Azamour seems to be fine. He came home last night around 10pm and ate and drank all before him. You would hardly know he had a race."
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