AIDAN O’Brien has indicated that Ryan Moore could be at Doncaster next Saturday to ride Sir Dragonet in the St Leger and would therefore miss the Irish Champion Stakes meeting at Leopardstown.

In recent years O’Brien and Moore were among prominent jockeys, trainers and owners who juggled both meetings, hot-footing it from Town Moor to Dublin by helicopter immediately after the final British classic.

However, with Leopardstown forced to move its racetimes forward to avoid a clash with the All Ireland Football Final replay, there is now just a 40-minute gap between the St Leger and Irish Champion Stakes.

O’Brien said: “It wouldn’t surprise me if Ryan would like to go to the St Leger. I will leave it to him to decide what he rides, but I’d imagine it might be him [Sir Dragonet].”

He added: “Different times are grand, but wouldn’t you prefer to see them on different days? We all want to be at the St Leger and the Irish Champion Stakes.”

Sir Dragonet, the Derby fifth, disappointed on his return to action when well held in the Group 2 Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh. In contrast, his stablemate and likely runner Il Paradiso put up a career best when running a close third to Stradivarius and Dee Ex Bee in the Lonsdale Cup at York.

O’Brien said of the pair: “The St Leger is an important race and a very prestigious race and we felt there was a good chance Sir Dragonet could get the trip. He is a horse that has plenty of class.

“Il Paradiso is now very highly rated. He stays very well and that’s why we ran him at York – we thought it was worth him taking his chance and he had a low weight. He ran a very respectable race – it was a good run for a three-year-old.”

Logician favourite

Buckhurst could represent Joseph O’Brien in the race but he is also being considered for the Irish St Leger. John Gosden confirmed Logician, the impressive Great Voltigeur winner, on target for the classic and he is as short as 5/4 favourite as a result.

It had been hoped that champion jockey Silvestre de Sousa would return from injury in time to ride at Doncaster but yesterday he announced that British Champions Day in October is his target.

In other news Aidan O’Brien is set to lose the services of classy stayers Constantinople, Cape Of Good Hope and Southern France, who have all been sold to Australian owners. Southern France is likely to have his final run for O’Brien in the Irish St Leger.