Stanstill - Simon O'Donnell

Stanstill is on the move as former Australian cricketer Simon O'Donnell eyes Melbourne Cup triumph
By MARCUS TOWNEND

Up for the cup: Stanstill has been bought by a syndicate headed by former Australian Test cricketer Simon O'Donnell Stanstill, one of the most progressive stayers in training, has been bought by a syndicate headed by former Australian Test cricketer Simon O’Donnell to run in the Melbourne Cup.

The four-year-old, who will race for the OTI Racing Syndicate, is due to run in the Listed Braveheart Stakes at Hamilton on Friday. He will remain with Yorkshire trainer Alan Swinbank.

The deal to buy Stanstill followed a clinical comeback victory at Southwell in March, his fourth of his 10 races.

Bloodstock agent Alastair Donald, who brokered the deal, said: ‘He looks a progressive stayer with a turn of foot who goes on any ground. We are not going to overface him. He’ll be kept to Listed class and may even go the Ebor Handicap route.’
O’Donnell, who played on the 1985 Ashes tour, almost won Australia’s biggest race in 2008 with his share in Luca Cumani’s runner-up Bauer.

There is still all to play for in Britain’s biggest Flat race, the Investec Derby, after the weekend trials.

Henry Cecil’s Lingfield winner Bullet Train may wait for Royal Ascot, while the grinding two-length victory of Aidan O’Brien’s Midas Touch in Sunday’s Derrinstown Stud Trial at Leopardstown was hardly revelatory, despite being cut to 16-1.
At least it was a trial success for O’Brien, whose horses have been slow to shine. His St Nicholas Abbey remains 3-1 Derby favourite but attention is focused on Thursday’s Dante Stakes and Cape Blanco, especially as stablemate Mikhail Glinka is out of work and looking doubtful for Epsom.

Plans for Jan Vermeer, the 10-1 Derby third favourite, are also uncertain. A needed Epsom prep race would have to be in the Irish Guineas and an alternative plan is to go straight to the French Derby.

Jim Bolger’s 1000 Guineas third Gile Na Greine misses Wednesday’s Musidora Stakes at York to go for the Irish 1000.

Meanwhile, the BHA disciplinary committee will rehear the case of Dean McKeown on May 24. The jockey was banned for four years for corruption offences in October 2008 but challenged the verdict in the High Court, which ruled there had been one factual error in the evidence against him.



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