Freud, a spectacular 1 to 5 flop on his only start to date, is being lined up to lead Aidan O`Brien`s attack on a third Independent Heinz 57 Stakes in a row at Leopardstown on Sunday.
Fasliyev and the 1998 winner, Lavery, have been successful for the Ballydoyle trainer in Europe`s first Group One race of the year for two-year-olds, and O`Brien has an astonishing 11 of the 21 horses left in the race. Among the possible opposition are five British-trained entries, with the Norfolk Stakes-winning filly Superstar Leo confirmed a likely runner but even that horse`s trainer is waiting on O`Brien`s plans.
'I`ve no idea what Aidan`s plans are but with a choice like that what he runs is bound to be good!' said Willie Haggas yesterday.
However, O`Brien later gave the strongest indication that Freud, a full brother to Giant`s Causeway who was sensationally beaten by Blixen on his Curragh debut on July 1st, will be his main hope.
'We have a good few left in the race but Freud is a strong possibility at the moment,' he said. 'He had to miss a race at Naas because of a foot bruise but he`s been fine since then.'
O`Brien also said he is likely to have more than one runner in the six-furlong race. This race has always featured a strong British challenge and horses from there won the Heinz five times in the 1990s, and although the unbeaten Cherry Hinton winner, Dora Carrington, has had her winning form boosted by the subsequent Group Three win at Ascot of Enthused, the focus yesterday seemed to be on Superstar Leo.
A victory in the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury subsequent to her Royal Ascot win confirmed Superstar Leo`s ability at five furlongs, but Sunday will be her first attempt at further.
'I`ve seen nothing to suggest she won`t get six furlongs. Her half brother, Royal Artist, gets the trip well,' said Haggas.
The main support race on Sunday is the Group Three Phoenix Sprint Stakes, a race that home trainers were successful in just three times in the 1990s.
A total of 11 British-trained horses remain among the 24 left in the race, including last year`s winner, Gorse, and the former Prix de la Foret winner, Tomba.
One horse unlikely to feature, however, is last year`s leading two year old, Bernstein, who will instead be aimed at the Shergar Cup race over six furlongs at Ascot on Saturday 'We`ll probably run Asanovo in the Leopardstown race instead. He has had a few little setbacks this year that have prevented him from running but he`s fine now,' said Aidan O`Brien.
Dean Gallagher will have to wait until next Monday before France Galop announces its decision over his appeal against a sixmonth riding ban for failing a drugs test.
The jockey was accompanied by a French lawyer and British Jockeys` Association secretary Michael Caulfield when he appeared at a hearing in Deauville yesterday.
Gallagher has declared that he will seek professional advice as he tries to put the episode behind him and resume his riding career.
He claimed his main reason for appealing was for a chance to address the French racing authorities rather than to object to the severity of the sentence.
Gallagher tested positive for cocaine on three separate race days in France last year. He is the first to test positive for such a drug since the testing procedures began three months ago.
