Siskin, already a group one winner, will not take on Pinatubo and Armory in the Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at the Curragh on day two of Longines Irish Champions Weekend.
Teddy Grimthorpe, racing manager to Siskin's owner Khalid Abdullah, told the Racing Post today, "Siskin is fine but the decision has been taken to miss the National Stakes at the Curragh and wait for the Middle Park,"
While Siskin's new target may actually be his original target, the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in late September. It's the same race day and venue that provided Ger Lyons with his first-ever group one win. Lightening Pearl won the 2011 Cheveley Park Stakes on the famous Newmarket Heath.
The Khalid Abdullah-owned colt gave Lyons and Keane their first group one win on home soil when maintaining his unbeaten record in taking the Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh when last seen.
Siskin is a perfect four from four thus far and his fifth start will be a rare Britsh raid for Ger Lyons, though the Glenburnie trainer has already plundered a big race across the water this year. Mustajeer made it second time lucky in the million-pound Ebor handicap at York last month.
Defection
The defection of Siskin to Newmarket has lead to Pinatubo being shortened even further to 1/2 favourite in places for the Goffs National Stakes on Sunday. Charlie Appleby is looking for back-to-back wins in the race following on the success of Quorto last year.
"Really the only issue might be if the ground were very testing."
Unbeaten Pinatubo pleasing Charlie Appleby ahead of the Goffs Vincent O’Brien National Stakes at @curraghrace >>>https://t.co/GMpWJg4ypL pic.twitter.com/Sjm1iH20RP— Racing TV (@RacingTV) September 4, 2019
Appleby's only apparent concern for his unbeaten juvenile is the gound, but with a relatively dry week forecast they are hopefully unfounded.
Aidan O'Brien may have something to say about it though, with Armory taking the same route here via the Tyros and Futurity Stakes as previous winner Gleneagles. The master of Ballydoyle already has a dozen winners of the Goffs National Stakes to his name.
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