Plan B for Bay Bridge as he makes a belated return to the all-weather

Bay Bridge is the star turn in the Unibet September Stakes after connections opted for the Group 3 over the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown, where the ground was deemed to be too quick for him to take part.

The mile and a half trip is an unknown for the Sir Michael Stoute-trained five-year-old, but the all-weather surface will not be as he ran at Kempton as a juvenile in 2020 before winning a 1m2f novice at Newcastle the following spring.

Winner of last year’s Qipco Champion Stakes, Bay Bridge will no doubt be on his way back to Ascot next month and has had a break since his last appearance when finishing fifth to Mostahdaf in the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Stoute said: “Bay Bridge needed some ease in the ground if he were to run in Ireland but he should be okay on the all-weather as he’s won on it before and works on it at home.”

John and Thady Gosden won this 12 months ago when Mostahdaf carried a 3lb penalty to victory in the Shadwell silks, but the same owner’s Israr bids to defy a bigger extra burden this time around after his Group 2 win at the Newmarket July festival.

The four-year-old is joined by interesting ex-Chilean stablemate Fortino, who won both the Derby and St Leger in his native land.

Thady Gosden said: “Israr won the Princess of Wales’s Stakes in good style at Newmarket last time and has been freshened up for this. However, he has to carry a 5lb penalty for his Group 2 win which makes things tough.

“Fortino is racing for the first time for us having previously competed in Chile where he won two Classics. Although running in a Group race first time in a new hemisphere is a big ask, this will tell us more about him.”

Ralph Beckett has his string in fine form and relies upon Max Vega, who is making his first outing since May. Beckett said: “This is only his second run on the surface and he’s coming off a break but he’s training well.”

South African jockey Kyle Strydom gets a rare spin in a Group race on track specialist Belloccio, who is another coming off a break. His trainer David Menuisier said: “He’s a Kempton specialist. We didn’t race him over the summer, and he’s back from a break. It looks a very hot renewal. He will try his best and we’ll have to see what his best is. The horse is well.”

The outsider of the seven-strong line up is the lightly raced Shandoz. His trainer Roger Varian said: “The September Stakes is often a strong race and it hasn’t disappointed this year. It’s a big ask but he’s still on the comeback trail after running a nice race in the Geoffrey Freer.”

Read the rest of today’s previews:

1.50 Haydock: ‘It’s his easiest task to date’ – analysis and key quotes for Superior Mile   

2.15 Leopardstown: ‘He really only got going in the last 50 yards’ – Diego Velazquez out to justify the hype in Champions Juvenile Stakes   

2.45 Leopardstown: ‘Tahiyra’s ready to go’ – Dermot Weld holds all the aces with red-hot favourite in his bid for a fourth Matron Stakes   

3.00 Haydock: ‘It looks the ideal race for her’ – Ebor sixth bids to gain valuable compensation at Haydock   

3.20 Leopardstown: ‘We will see a different Auguste Rodin this time’ – key quotes for the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown   

3.35 Haydock: ‘We’ve all got Shaquille to beat’ – can anyone lower the colours of hot favourite in Sprint Cup?  

3.55 Leopardstown: Lord Massusus out to back up impressive Desmond Stakes win in Group 2 Dullingham Stakes for Joseph Murphy  

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