Next Saturday’s St Leger (Eng-G1) took another blow Tuesday when Renata
Jacobs’ Linas SELECTION (Selkirk) was ruled out of the oldest Classic. It was
the second blow in a two weeks for Newsells Park Stud, whose Princess of Wales’s
S. (Eng-G2) hero SOAPY DANGER (GB) (Danzig) sustained an injury during the Great
Voltigeur S. (Eng-G2).
“Linas Selection has had a minor setback and will not run in the Leger,”
Racing Manager Gary Coffey told PA Sport Tuesday. “The problem emerged after his
run at Goodwood and means he is unlikely to be seen on the track for the
remainder of the year. Soapy Danger required surgery, but is doing well and
we’ll have a better idea about his future before too long.”
Paul Reddam’s Great Voltigeur runner-up RED ROCKS (Galileo [Ire]) may also
sidestep the classic, which will be contested at York this year. Trainer
Brian Meehan is looking at the alternative target of the Champion S. (Eng-G1) at Newmarket on October 14.
“We haven’t made a decision yet, but the Leger is still a possibility,” he
told PA Sport. “The Champion S. is also under consideration; we will make a
decision next week.”
On Sunday, Aidan O’Brien revealed that Derrick Smith’s Dante S. (Eng-G2)
victor SEPTIMUS (Sadler’s Wells) is unlikely to line-up in the York classic,
which had seen the high-profile scratchings of PAPAL BULL (Montjeu [Ire]), DARSI
(Polish Precedent) and SIR PERCY (Mark of Esteem) at the latest forfeit stage.