New Approach is reported to be firmly on target for next weekend's Emirates Airline Champion Stakes as he chases his third Group One prize of the season.
The Vodafone Derby hero suffered a setback following his Epsom triumph and after finishing a satisfactory third in the Juddmonte International on his comeback, he took top honours in the Irish Champion Stakes last time.
Bolger has been happy with
the Galileo colt's work over the past month and is looking forward to seeing him return to Newmarket on Saturday. "New Approach is very well in himself and everything is on target for Newmarket,'' said Bolger. "It has been a month since his last race, but he has been in training since then and his work has been very good.''
New Approach gave Bolger his second successive victory in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes on Champions Day 12 months ago and his likely representative this year is Intense Focus. The juvenile finished third in the Goffs Million on his penultimate start and occupied the same position in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere on Arc day at Longchamp.
"Intense Focus and Gan Amhras are in the Dewhurst, but I would say Intense Focus would be the runner at this stage – as long as he has fully recovered from Longchamp,'' the Coolcullen handler continued. "He has run two blinders on his last couple of starts and I might be being a bit hard on him running him again, but he will have a nice winter break after this anyway.
"I'm hoping he will develop into a Guineas horse next year as there is more improvement to come from him. If he does go for the Dewhurst, Gan Amhras will probably go to Doncaster for the Racing Post Trophy if the ground is good or better.
"He ran very well to finish second in the Goffs Million after a long break last time.''
Lush Lashes is likely to head for Hong Kong in December before connections decide whether the filly will stay in training next season.
The daughter of Galileo has enjoyed a lucrative campaign for trainer Jim Bolger, winning the Coronation Stakes and the Matron Stakes over a mile, as well as taking the Yorkshire Oaks over 12 furlongs.
She lost nothing in defeat when a length-and-a-half second in the Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp on Arc day and Bolger believes had it not been for a setback in the stalls, she may have finished even closer.
"She sustained a bad bang when she left the stalls at Longchamp and she didn't really stride out with her usual gusto,'' said the trainer. She wouldn't have run up to her best form there and we are just starting to get that cut under control now. The plan is to head to Hong Kong where she will be entered in the Hong Kong Mile and the Hong Kong Cup and we will make a decision on her future after that.''
Aidan O'Brien's Melbourne Cup team have arrived safely in Australia and will now head into quarantine. Septimus, Alessandro Volta and Honolulu completed the 36-hour trip from Dublin in good shape and will now spend three weeks in isolation.
Others to arrive included Dermot Weld's Profound Beauty, Richard Gibson's Varavees and Jane Chapple-Hyam's Yellowstone.
European contenders must have entered quarantine by September 25, serving two weeks in Europe before a further three weeks in quarantine at Sandown.
TODAY'S BESTDUKE'S DOUBLEArts Guild (4.30 Windsor), nap and Etosha (5.00 Windsor).
DUKE'S TREBLEArts Guild, Etosha and Kyleene (3.40 Kempton).
JULIUS'S DOUBLEPerfect Silence (5.30 Windsor), nap and Zuwaar (4.00 Windsor).
FORMNAPLieutenant Pigeon (3.10 Kempton).
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