Longchamp not Ireland next for Bago
Connections of French star Bago have elected to bypass a clash with Doyen and company in the Irish Champion Stakes on Saturday.
The Jonathan Pease-trained colt will instead tackle a mile and a half for the first time in the Prix Niel at Longchamp the following day.
Alan Cooper, racing manager to owners the Niarchos Family, said: “Jonathan wanted to see how the horse coped over this trip.”
The Niel is one of the key trials for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, but Cooper stressed that the decision to stay at home should not be taken as an indication that the Arc was now on Bago’s agenda.
“His end of season objective remains the Breeders’ Cup,” he said.
Bago missed the early part of this year due to a minor training setback but was an exciting winner of the Prix Jean Prat on his reappearance and then confirmed that form in the Grand Prix de Paris.
He then finished third behind Sulamani on his first clash with his elders in the Juddmonte International at York last month.
Cooper reflected: “He learned a lot from that run. He was the best three-year-old in the race but lacked seasoning. He’s in good form and has done very well since his last run.”
Bago was one of 16 acceptors for the Group Three Niel, won last year by Dalakhani en route to Arc glory.
