Alpha Centauri and Saxon Warrior head into injury-induced retirement following defeats at Leopardstown
- Alpha Centauri injured a fetlock when beaten by Laurens in the Matron Stakes
- Saxon Warrior sustained tendon damage when second in Irish Champion Stakes
- Breeders’ Cup Mile was in sights of Jessica Harrington-trained Alpha Centauri
- Saxon Warrior was going to run in Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day
Alpha Centauri and Saxon Warrior, two of the season’s best three-year-olds, have headed into injury-induced retirement after defeats on Saturday.
Jessica Harrington-trained Alpha Centauri, whose four group-one wins this summer including the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, injured a fetlock when beaten by Laurens in the Matron Stakes at Leopardstown.
Aidan O’Brien’s Saxon Warrior, winner of the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, sustained tendon damage when losing out to old rival Roaring Lion in the Irish Champion Stakes on the same card.
Alpha Centauri (third left) has headed into injury-induced retirement after defeat on Saturday
Saxon Warrior (right) has also been retired after sustaining tendon damage at Leopardstown
Both horses had big Autumn targets. The Breeders’ Cup Mile was in the sights of Alpha Centauri while Saxon Warrior was going to drop back to his Guineas-winning distance of a mile and run in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes on Champions Day at Ascot on October 20.
It is Saxon Warrior’s injury which is the most frustrating. Unlike Alpha Centauri, who delivered on her potential, there remained unfinished business for the colt, who was talked of as a Triple Crown contender after his Guineas win.
Despite some good runs subsequently, including fourth to Masar in the Derby, he never managed another win and also succumbed to the bug which affected the trainer’s stable this summer.
Aiden O’Brien’s Flag of Honour won the Irish Leger at the Curragh on Sunday afternoon
O’Brien followed his success in the St Leger at Doncaster with Kew Gardens on Saturday by winning Sunday’s Irish Leger at the Curragh with Ryan Moore-ridden Flag of Honour.
But O’Brien had a frustrating run of seconds. Magic Wand was runner-up to the impressive Andre Fabre-trained Kitesurf in the Prix Vermeille at Longchamp where O’Brien’s Hunting Horn was edged out in the Prix Niel by Charlie Appleby-trained Brundtland.
Appleby’s Quorto was cut 7-1 for the 2019 2,000 Guineas after beating O’Brien’s Anthony Van Dyck in the Group One National Stakes at the Curragh.
Trainer of the weekend was surely Karl Burke. Having won the Group One Matron Stakes with Laurens, he landed Sunday’s Group One Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh with Havana Grey.
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