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| Staff Writer |
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There is speculation that Kyprios may finally make his return to the racetrack at the Irish Champions Festival, specifically in the Comer Group International Irish St Leger. Last season, the talented stayer won all six of his races, including impressive Group One victories in the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot, the Goodwood Cup, and the Irish St Leger.
Unfortunately, an injury kept him sidelined for the first part of this season. However, he is reportedly getting closer to a full recovery and may start his return to racing with a defence of his Irish Leger title at the Curragh in just over a week
From Injury To Potential Contender
“He is in good shape, we’re very happy with him. He was at the Curragh a couple of weeks ago and I didn’t think we’d get him to where he is,” said trainer Aidan O’Brien.
“He could run in the Leger, but if he runs it would be for a run – I couldn’t imagine him being forward enough to be that competitive in that race, but you would still say that he should run a very good race.
“Four months ago you’d have said he’ll never race again. He got an infection in his joint and then the ligament down the outside of his pastern shifted, so it became unstable.
“Everyone has done a wonderful job with him. If we got a run into him we’ll look towards Arc weekend again, either the Arc or the Cadran, but I would imagine the Arc would be too much too quick for him.
“He’s a very good horse and probably more than a stayer. We saw what he did in the Cadran last year – he just took off.”
Trainer O'Brien mentioned that Kyprios might have a companion in the Irish Leger, Emily Dickinson, who triumphed in the Curragh Cup over the same distance and track before finishing second to Quickthorn in the Goodwood Cup.
Crossing Borders: Kinross Explores France, America, & Hong Kong
Kinross is setting his sights on a successful end to the season. The 6YO owned by Marc Chan and trained by Ralph Beckett, has secured his 10th career victory by winning the City of York Stakes for the second year in a row. With his impressive form, Kinross has his sights set on three major races before the year is out.
Kinross: Reigning Champion On Tour
First, Kinross will be heading to ParisLongchamp on October 1, where he'll be looking to defend his Prix de la Foret crown. Following this, Kinross will travel to America in November to take another shot at the Breeders' Cup Mile. Last year, Kinross finished third in the race behind Modern Games, but he'll be hoping to go even further this time around.
Finally, on December 10, Kinross will be heading to Sha Tin where he'll be looking to give his jockey Frankie Dettori the perfect send-off before his retirement. It's set to be an exciting end to the season for Kinross and his team, and fans of the sport will no doubt be eagerly watching to see how he performs in these upcoming races.
“Kinross will probably go straight to France, then the Breeders’ Cup and then the race in Hong Kong, they are the most important races for him,” said Chan’s racing manager, Jamie McCalmont.