Great Voltigeur Stakes an option for Martyn Meade’s Lone Eagle

Narrowly beaten by Hurricane Lane in the Irish Derby on his penultimate start, the son of Galileo was then last of five runners behind Epsom hero Adayar in the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot. Lone Eagle, who is owned in partnership by Ballylinch Stud and Australian-based Aquis Farm, last week received a surprise entry in the Melbourne Cup, but Meade considers a trip Down Under a “long shot” at this stage.

“He’s just having a bit of a quiet time at the moment, so we’ve got no plans right now,” said the Manton-based trainer.

“It (Melbourne Cup) is a bit of a long shot, I would say. The part-owners are from Australia and obviously he’s got every right to be considered for that, but it’s fair to say it’s a long shot.”

Lone Eagle also has plenty of big-race engagements in Britain, with the Great Voltigeur on August 18 the most imminent.

Meade added: “We’re certainly looking at that (Great Voltigeur), for sure.”

However William Muir’s Pyledriver – winner of last year’s Voltigeur – has been ruled out of next week’s Juddmonte International.

Muir, who trains the high-class colt in partnership with Chris Grassick, had hoped his stable star would make the Knavesmire showpiece having already missed the King George at Ascot.

However, a muscle problem which appeared after he won the Coronation Cup at Epsom is taking longer to clear up than first hoped.

“You got to be 100 per cent,” said Muir. “It’s just frustrating as hell because you could drive upsides him, you can watch him trotting and he’s trotting out like a lion, but if you push these soft tissue things just a bit too quick you might go backwards.

“Years ago, when I first started out, I had Averti, and he pulled a muscle, and we just started to get back and we went a bit quick and then he did it again. It was pretty frustrating and it took me the next time before I got it right.

“When it came right he went on to do tremendous things, but you have to be patient and you can’t win these Group One races unless you are 100 per cent.”

Meanwhile, Roger Varian is weighing up options for last 
year’s Ebor winner Fujaira 
Prince.

He is set to return to the Knavesmire next week but whether he defends his Sky Bet Ebor crown or runs in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup has still to be decided.

No horse has defended the Ebor since Flint prevailed in 1922 and 1923.

Varian said: “The Ebor meeting has been a long-term plan, but a decision hasn’t yet been made as to which race he will run in.

“He won nicely off 108 last year and the extra 6lb he has to carry this time around wouldn’t be enough for us to rule out the race.

“It’s whether you essentially take on Listed and Group Three horses in a compressed handicap, or line-up against those good horses over two miles.

“The standard of the opposition will be taken into account before we make up our minds,” he added.