Moore ready for tough pick as Winter may go to the Arc

RYAN MOORE could have another difficult choice ahead of the Prix de L’Arc de Triomphe a week on Sunday, with trainer Aidan O’Brien saying that he is considering including his top filly Winter in his large raiding party heading for Chantilly.

O’Brien made history last year when Found’s victory over stablemates Highland Reel and Order Of St George made him the first trainer to saddle the first three home in the Arc.

Highland Reel and Order Of St George, the winner of the Irish Leger eight days ago under Moore, are on course to race in the Arc again.

They could be joined by Seventh Heaven and Capri, whose win in Saturday’s William Hill St Leger at Doncaster saw Moore complete a full house of wins in the five British Classics.

Winter was beaten by stablemate Hydrangea over a mile in last weekend’s Matron Stakes at Leopardstown, but O’Brien said that Winter had an interrupted preparation which had probably cost her.

O’Brien said: ‘We needed to run Winter on Irish Champions weekend if she was going to run at the Arc meeting. We are thinking about the Arc for Order Of St George. Highland Reel and Seventh Heaven are also in the picture with Cliffs of Moher and Idaho.’

Meanwhile, John Gosden, the trainer of Arc favourite Enable, will leave a decision on the participation of Cracksman as late as possible. But Sir Michael Stoute has confirmed his intention to run his star colt Ulysses. GEOFF WRAGG, the former trainer who won the 1983 Derby, has died at the age of 87. Wragg won Britain’s most important Classic with Lester Piggottridden Teenoso, shortly after taking over the Newmarket stable previously run by his illustrious father Harry, who himself had trained Derby winner Psidium (1961) as well as riding the winner three times on Felstead (1928), Blenheim (1930) and Watling Street (1942). Geoff Wragg trained almost 700 winners before retiring in 2008. He landed the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes with Teenoso in 1984 and Pentire in 1996.