Cross Counter preps in Irish St. Leger for Melbourne Cup defense

Cross Counter, the winner of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup in Australia last November, will have his final start in Europe this year in Sunday’s Group 1 Irish St. Leger at the Curragh in Ireland.

The $664,560 Irish St. Leger at 1 3/4 miles on turf will be his prep for the Melbourne Cup at two miles at Flemington Racecourse on Nov. 4.

The Irish St. Leger is one of four Group 1 races on a nine-race program at the Curragh. There are two races offering berths for the winner to Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita on Nov. 1-2.

The winner of the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at seven furlongs will receive a berth in the BC Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita on Nov. 1. The winner of the Group 1 Flying Five Stakes at five furlongs on turf will receive a berth in the BC Turf Sprint on Nov. 2.

Cross Counter, owned by Godolphin Racing and trained by Charlie Appleby, may not go favored in the 10-runner Irish St. Leger Stakes. As of Friday, Cross Counter was 3-1 in advance betting with bookmakers behind 5-2 Kew Gardens.

Kew Gardens, trained by Aidan O’Brien, won the Group 1 English St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster in 2018 and is winless in two starts this year. Kew Gardens has not raced since finishing second in the Group 1 Coronation Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Epsom on May 31.

Cross Counter won the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup at two miles in the United Arab Emirates on March 30 and was later fourth in the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup in June and third in the Group 1 Goodwood Cup on July 30, losing both races to top English stayer Stradivarius.

Latrobe, second in the 2018 Irish St. Leger, is part of Sunday’s field for trainer Joseph O’Brien, Aidan’s son.

There will be strong favorites in the two Group 1 races for 2-year-olds. Pinatubo, unbeaten in four starts, all for Godolphin and Appleby, was 4-9 on Friday for the $443,040 National Stakes for colts and fillies at seven furlongs.

Pinatubo, by Shamardal, won his group stakes debut in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at seven furlongs at Goodwood Racecourse in England on July 30. Aidan O’Brien starts Armory, who has won his last three starts, including the Group 2 Futurity Stakes at the Curragh on Aug. 23.

Albigna was 3-2 for the $443,040 Moyglare Stud Stakes as of Friday. Trained by Jessica Harrington, Albigna has won both of her starts, but has not raced since a half-length win in the Group 2 Airlie Stud Stakes at six furlongs at the Curragh on June 29.

Albigna’s main rival in the Moyglare Stud Stakes is Daahyeh, who won the Group 3 Albany Stakes at six furlongs against 24 rivals at Royal Ascot on June 21, and was second to Raffle Prize in the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at six furlongs at Newmarket on July 12.

The best betting race among the four Group 1 races is the $443,040 Flying Five Stakes, which will be the Group 1 debut of the 4-year-old filly Soffia, a winner of her last four starts. Trained by Edward Lynam, Soffia won the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes at five furlongs at the Curragh on July 21.

Soffia will be challenged by Houtzen, who was second in the Group 2 King George Qatar Stakes at five furlongs at Goodwood on Aug. 2, and Soldier’s Call and Mabs Cross, who were second and fourth in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at five furlongs at York on Aug. 23.

Mabs Cross won the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris last October. Soldier’s Call was fourth in the Sapphire Stakes in July.