Scandinavia could be part of O’Brien’s Champions Day squad

Aidan O’Brien has raised the possibility of star stayer Scandinavia joining fellow Ballydoyle big guns Constitution River and Gstaad on Qatar Racing British Champions Day at Ascot next weekend.

O’Brien has ground to make up on Andrew Balding in his pursuit of a ninth trainers’ championship on British soil and the big meeting in Berkshire is certain to have a huge bearing on where the title will ultimately end up.

But while O’Brien would love to emerge victorious for the third year in succession, he insists he will not be running horses just for the sake of it.

“It’s always an honour and a privilege to win it, but it’s always the horses first – that’s the way it always is and always will be,” he said at Naas on Sunday.

“We do what we think is the right thing by the horses and I suppose our next two goes in England will be Ascot next weekend and then Doncaster (Futurity Trophy) the following weekend and then that’s us finished after that.

“Andrew is having a great year and we’re delighted for him.”

Constitution River and Gstaad have largely been campaigned over a mile and a quarter and a mile respectively this season, but O’Brien is considering a switch-up at Ascot, with Constitution River potentially dropping back for the QEII and Gstaad stepping up for the Champion Stakes.

“We haven’t really decided which way yet, but they could go different ways than they have been racing all year. It depends what everyone decides. Both of them are in good shape anyway,” he said.

Few would have expected Scandinavia to turn up at Ascot after he suffered his first defeat in nine races at the hands of Caballo De Mar in the Prix du Cadran last weekend, but O’Brien is not ruling out an appearance in the Long Distance Cup if the ground is deemed suitable.

He added: “It will probably be Minnie Hauk and Amelia Earhart (in the British Champions Fillies and Mares Stakes) and we’re going to leave Scandinavia and Queenstown in the staying race.

“There is a small chance Scandinavia could run. The ground is usually gone and it was kind of gone a little bit in France, but he came out of it very well – we kept him cantering and he is very fresh.”

Jan Brueghel was previously thought to be O’Brien’s chief Long Distance Cup contender, but he has now been ruled out for the rest of the year.

“Jan Brueghel won’t run, we were preparing him for it and he had a setback, so he won’t be there,” the trainer confirmed.

“He got an infection in his joint, but the operation went well and hopefully we’ll be back for next year.”