Will he won’t he?

It’s been the story for the second half of the season for Gleneagles. Bad ground at Goodwood, York, Deauville and Leopardstown have meant he hasn’t seen a racecourse since Royal Ascot when he won the St James’s Palace Stakes.

The one Aidan described as the best miler he’s ever trained has been the subject of much frustration for the racing public. Prior to Ascot wins in the Guineas and Irish Guineas, which preceded a top class two-year old campaign, stamped him king miler of his generation. Yet for all his promise he has been denied the chance to measure himself against the older generation. For connections that’s a commercial opportunity missed for his stud value.

Ballydoyle have been nothing but consistent about him. Aidan O’Brien has declared him for The International Stakes and the Irish Champion Stakes only to walk the course on both occasions before pulling him out. They won’t risk their prize asset on anything but good ground. The likelihood for Ascot on Saturday is good to soft. That’s short on what is required. Aidan will again walk the course tomorrow afternoon before making a final decision.

Do you compromise? The ground won’t be fast. The temptation to run produces a dilemma. If he runs and wins that place at stud is guaranteed at top dollar. He’ll have beaten the year older Solow, a top drawer performer at the top of his game.

Should he lose the cost in stud reputation mightn’t be too high. After all he’s a fast ground horse who’ll rely on his class to get him through. There’ll be no real knock to reputation in getting beaten.

There is another choice, the last chance saloon, the Breeders Cup Classic at Keenland on dirt in two weeks time where he’d take on the best of the Americans including American Pharoah. He’s available now at 14/1 to achieve that. That’s reflective of the doubt of his participation given the uncertainty about where or if he’ll run. More of the will he or won’t he but reality is options are fast running out.

He might be retired without another run or we might see Gleneagles race at four.

Today there’s still the possibility of him doing the double proving Aidan’s assertion, “he’s the best miler I’ve  ever had” but with the upgrade to “he’s the best I’ve ever had”.

Recommendation: With A Run – Gleneagles Queen Elizabeth 11 Stakes (2/1)

Small Double : Queen Elizabeth 11 Stakes (2/1) & Breeders Cup Classic (14/1)