Blue Bajan faces Lonsdale Cup as O’Meara avoids Ebor talent

Though Pepper Lane’s victory in the William Hill Great St Wilfrid Stakes at Ripon on Saturday was an eyecaching win, Blue Bajan provided North Yorkshire-based O’Meara with his first Group winner in May.

The victory, in the Henry II Stakes, was no fluke. Though disappointing in the Ascot Gold Cup, the nine-year-old was a fast-finishing third to Opinion Poll in last month’s Goodwood Cup and now goes for the Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup at York on Saturday.

The assessor raised O’Meara’s former hurdler 2lb to 113 on the back of the Goodwood contest, a display O’Meara described as a “career best”.

That was the final factor in persuading the trainer to go for the Group Two contest over two miles rather than ask him to carry a big weight in the Betfred Ebor the same day where Godolphin’s Lost In the Moment, the Goodwood runner-up, is a leading player and was backed into 6-1 favouritism last night.

“He’s very well and goes to York for the Lonsdale. That is a more realistic target than the Ebor,” said O’Meara who is based at Nawton near York.

“We put Blue Bajan in the Ebor, but after he ran so well at Goodwood we thought we would go for a Group race again.

“We were delighted with his last run. It was probably a career-best performance. He’s gone up to 113 so the handicapper has looked upon it as an improved performance.”

Blue Bajan is one of 20 entries for the Lonsdale, the star name among them being Aidan O’Brien’s Ascot Gold Cup hero Fame And Glory.

Meanwhile the aforementioned Lost In The Moment and Brian Ellison’s Saptapadi remain among the entries for the Betfred Ebor.

Both horses will carry 9st 5lb if they take their chance, with Mark Johnston’s Fox Hunt currently heading the weights.

There are no major absentees following the latest entry stage, with the likes of Modun, Blissful Moment and Tactician – the latter owned by the Queen – all still in the reckoning.

Woolfall Treasure is the 20th horse in the list and therefore the final horse guaranteed a run.

The likes of Northumberland Plate winner Tominator, Michael Bell’s Activate and Zuider Zee from the John Gosden yard all need withdrawals to make the cut.

In other York news, Mark Johnston’s Royal Ascot and Glorious Goodwood winner Namibian puts his St Leger credentials on the line in tomorrow’s sportingbet.com Great Voltigeur Stakes.

The seven-runner race is headed by Aidan O’Brien’s Seville – the runner-up in the Dante, the Irish Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris.

Seville will again be partnered by Seamie Heffernan.

Meanwhile, top French jockey Olivier Peslier will take the plum ride on Ed Dunlop’s Snow Fairy in Thursday’s Darley Yorkshire Oaks after connections withdrew her from tomorrow’s Juddmonte International.

The four-year-old chased home Midday in the Knavesmire Group One 12 months ago and was again left chasing Sir Henry Cecil’s star mare’s shadow in the Nassau Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last month.

“We have decided to stick with her own sex, and Snow Fairy will head north in top form,” revealed Dunlop.

“She ran a terrific race against Midday in the Nassau Stakes at Goodwood and seems to have improved again judged on her work at home since.

“They have had no rain at York since the one millimetre that fell on Friday night, but the ground is still on the easy side of good, and, with a favourable forecast, it can only improve as the week goes on.

“Hopefully, Snow Fairy will get the going she loves best. Obviously, it is a relief not having Midday standing in our way again, but there is still an Irish Oaks winner in the field in Blue Bunting so we are under no illusions about the task we face.”

Ryan Moore guided the filly to her four Group One victories in 2010, but he has been unavailable for her two starts this season and is now on the sidelines with injury.

Johnny Murtagh and Frankie Dettori have been the men called up to take the reins but Frenchman Peslier is the next man in line.

“I am delighted that we have got Olivier, who rode Native Khan for us in the 2000 Guineas and also won on Ouija Board at Royal Ascot (Prince of Wales’s Stakes) back in 2006,” Dunlop added.