Countdown on for Saxon Warrior as Aidan O’Brien mulls over whether or not to run in the Irish Champion Stakes
The 2000 Guineas winner was again beaten by Roaring Lion in the Juddmonte International
THE PLANS for Saxon Warrior remain up in the air as Aidan O'Brien weighs up his next move.
What trip Saxon Warrior should be running over has been open to debate since his Derby disappointment behind Masar at Epsom.
The 2000 Guineas winner failed to stay at Epsom, before he was narrowly beaten by Roaring Lion in a thrilling Coral Eclipse.
The old foes met again in the Juddmonte International, with John Gosden's three-year-old comfortably landing the big race.
But O'Brien remains upbeat and explained that his colt had been affected by the virus that his yard struggled with during the summer, especially around the time of the Sandown Group 1.
The Champion Trainer has given his team ten days to decide if the Classic winner will participate in next months Irish Champion Stakes.
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O'Brien said: "He was very sick after Sandown. We had it in our mind if we got him back he'd go to York and then come back to Leopardstown and then we might go back to a mile (Queen Elizabeth II Stakes) at Ascot.
"The thing is now whether we give him another go at a mile and a quarter, because he was very sick and you'd have to say that he could come on a good bit from it.
"We'll decide in the next 10 days."
Saxon Warrior is a best priced 5-1 for the Group 1 at Leopardstown, with Roaring Lion clear favourite at 6-4.