Derby winner sidelined for season

The colt – ridden to Derby glory by William Buick – suffered the setback on the eve of this month’s Coral-Eclipse at Sandown which was dramatically won by the champion’s rival Roaring Lion.

It had been hoped Masar and Roaring Lion would clash in York’s Juddmonte International next month.

However, trainer Charlie Appleby says the chestnut, owned by Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation, will stay in training next year.

Appleby says veterinary advice is for the colt to have two months of rest following a scan on Saturday evening and that it would be detrimental to the horse to race again this year.

“After discussions with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed he was keen to see him stay in training, so we felt to give him the best chance next year we would give him the rest of this season off,” said Appleby.

“He’s going to miss eight weeks now anyway and you can’t get a lead into championship race, like the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, by missing this much time.

“He’s a substantial colt anyway, there’s a chance there’s more to come and going into his four-year-old season he takes the best mile-and-a-half form.”

He went on: “After the Irish Derby some were crabbing the Epsom form, but since the Eclipse and Kew Gardens winning the Grand Prix de Paris it looks an awful lot better. The two races of interest are the Champion Stakes and the Arc, but it would be a push to get to those races and we’ve decided to do what is best for the horse and give him all the time he needs.

“The races we’ll be looking at next year are the Coronation 
Cup, the King George and the Arc.”

Meanwhile, Kew Gardens is set to run in the King George at Ascot at the end of the month after landing the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp.

Ninth in the Derby, and then successful in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot, Kew Gardens boosted his claims for further middle-distance honours with a solid success.

After being held up in the rear of the field by Ryan Moore in the early stages, Kew Gardens had to knuckle down when challenged strongly by Neufbosc in the final furlong. Kew Gardens kept on strongly in the closing stages, to give O’Brien and Moore a Group One double following US Navy Flag’s triumph in the Darley July Cup at Newmarket earlier in the day.

Betfair cut the Galileo colt to 6-1 for the King George and 7-2 for the St Leger.

“We’re delighted with him, the plan was to come here and then maybe if everything went well we may have a look at the King George,” said O’Brien.

“We wanted to come back to a mile and a half before we went to the King George. You couldn’t be happier with him. Ryan took his time on him and rode him for pace. He quickened up well and was brave at the end.

“He’s a very progressive colt, he’s progressed lovely since his last run.”

There was disappointment for Middleham with Dee Ex Bee – second in the Derby – only third for the Mark Johnston stable on quicker than ideal ground.

The St Leger – the final Classic of 2018 – could be a feasible proposition for an admirably consistent horse that has raced in Britian, Ireland and France in recent weeks.