Diego Velazquez roars back to form in Meld Stakes

PA Sport Reporters
July 18, 2024 6:38 pm

Cox Plate a possible target for Leopardstown winner.

Diego Velazquez negotiated a wide route to return to winning form in the Meld Stakes at Leopardstown.

Aidan O’Brien’s charge was a Group Two winner last term and has been highly tried this year, finishing fourth in the French 2000 Guineas, eighth in the French Derby and then a distant 10th in the King Edward VII Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Dropped back to Group Three company and racing over nine furlongs, Diego Velazquez was sent off the 8-11 favourite in the hands of Ryan Moore and travelled well enough before getting pushing a little wide on the turn for home.

Racing up the the middle of the straight, Diego Velazquez had no immediate company but he firmly stamped his authority, coming home a seven-length winner over Tarawa.

Paddy Power make the Frankel colt a 16-1 chance from 40s for the Irish Champion Stakes, but O’Brien has an international target on his mind.

He said: “He ran a lovely race in the French Guineas and then we went to the French Derby with him, Ryan just said maybe over a mile and a quarter we rode him too forward and the pace of the race didn’t work out for him.

“We went to Ascot over a mile and a half and we felt very much coming from Ascot that he’s not a mile-and-a-half horse.

“He’s made like a miler so he’s probably an eight, nine or 10-furlong horse. He loved the ground.

“We ran him back quick because we wanted to know where to go with him in the autumn. Ryan said he has all the class in the world and all the speed in the world.

“He could be a Cox Plate horse and we’ll see what we do in between with him. He’s definitely not short of pace.

“We’re delighted with him. He has a lot of options and at least we know now what to do in the autumn. We’ll give him a little bit of time now.”