Aidan O'Brien confirmed TDN Rising Star River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) remains on track for Sunday's G1 Prix Morny at Deauville despite missing a piece of work two weeks ago. Campaigned by Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg and Brant, the juvenile was last seen winning the June 20 G1 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot.
“The plan is to run River Tiber [this weekend],” O'Brien told Sky Sports Racing. “He had a setback a couple of weeks ago so there will be a cloud over him when we do run him as we're a bit worried about his fitness, but the plan at the moment is to run.
A runaway winner in his career bow at Navan Apr. 22, the colt followed up with another victory at Naas May 21.
O'Brien continued, “He had a hold-up and missed his second-last piece of work so he had that week off, but he did a piece of work this week so that gave him a chance to go.
“He seems to be in good form since, but the ground that we lost you couldn't make back up with him.”
O'Brien also indicated MG1SW Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), last year's Gold Cup winner, may mark his return in the Sept. 10 G1 Irish St Leger. The chestnut was last seen destroying his rivals in the G1 Prix du Cadran at ParisLongchamp Oct. 1.
“Kyprios was at the Curragh for a canter last weekend after racing and that went well. He seems to have come out of that well,” said O'Brien. “We're looking at maybe starting at the [Irish] Leger, but that's a tough enough race to come back in so we'd be hoping he could run a good race, come out of it OK and then have a look at something on Arc weekend, something like that, because you couldn't expect him to perform at his best after such a traumatic year. If it all went well we could look at next year with him.”
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