Savethelastdance out for the season; No decision yet on Arc bid for Leger hero Continuous
By Ashley Iveson
15:47 · MON September 18, 2023
Aidan O’Brien's Irish Oaks winner Savethelastdance will not take up her engagement in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season
The daughter of Galileo was last seen finishing third behind stablemate Warm Heart in the Yorkshire Oaks, but her trainer has confirmed the Galileo filly is not in contention for the trip to Paris.
On whether she could return as a four-year-old in 2024, O’Brien said: “We always talk about those things at the end of the year really, so we haven’t discussed it yet."
Meanwhile, O’Brien is in no rush to make a final decision on Continuous’ potential participation in the Arc on October 1 following his victory in the St Leger at Doncaster on Saturday.
The son of Heart’s Cry was beaten in his first three races this season, but has really found his groove in the second half of the campaign – impressing in the Great Voltigeur at York before providing his trainer with a seventh success in the season’s final Classic on Town Moor.
Access to exclusive features all for FREE - No monthly subscription fee
Log in with your existing Sporting Life, Sky Bet, or Sky Games account. If you don't have any of those, it's completely FREE to register!
Continuous does not yet hold an entry in the Arc, but O’Brien did raise the possibility of supplementing the three-year-old at a cost of €120,000 in the immediate aftermath of his impressive Doncaster triumph.
The Ballydoyle handler reports Continuous to have taken his exertions well, but with the supplementary stage not taking place until a week on Wednesday – four days before Europe’s premier middle-distance contest is run – he is happy to let the dust settle before considering the next plan of attack.
“We were delighted with him and he seems to be fine, (but) we don’t (make plans) until a week or so ever,” he said.
Continuous is entered for the Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot on October 21. When asked about possible alternatives to an Arc bid, O’Brien added: “He has a lot of alternatives really anywhere, we’ll just see how he is first really I suppose.”
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
