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Sea the Stars passes on chance at Triple Crown SEA THE STARS (Cape Cross [Ire]), the first horse to complete the Two Thousand Guineas(Eng-G1)/Epsom Derby (Eng-G1) double since Nashwan in 1989, will not bid for the elusive Triple Crown after trainer John Oxx ruled the dual classic winner out of running in the St Leger (Eng-G1) at Doncaster September 12. "We discussed the possibility of a Doncaster St Leger entry, but decided against it," Oxx told Racing Post. "Sea The Stars will continue to race over a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half for the rest of the season, starting with the Eclipse S. (Eng-G1) on Saturday. The plan is to run at Sandown, with the proviso that the ground will be suitable for him. That proviso is always there as far as he is concerned, as he needs really good or good-to-firm ground." Trainer Luca Cumani is hopeful of a big run from last year's Derby Italiano (Ity-G1) hero CIMA DE TRIOMPHE (Galileo [Ire]) after the four-year-old put the finishing touches to his Eclipse preparations at Newmarket Tuesday. "He did his last bit of work (Tuesday) morning, where he went six furlongs in company with two other horses," Cumani explained. "He's in good form and we are going there hopeful of a good run, but we are under no illusions as to the difficulty of the task. We still have 12 furlongs as an option for him at another time, but this will be tough because there will be plenty of pace in the race. We were slightly disappointed with his run in the (Prix) Ganay (Fr-G1) with how the race worked out, but the form has been boosted by Vision d'Etat (Chichicasteango) (winning the Prince of Wales's S. [Eng-G1] at Royal Ascot)." Meanwhile, jockey Jimmy Fortune has bagged the plum ride aboard RIP VAN WINKLE (Galileo [Ire]) in the Eclipse. Johnny Murtagh, who was aboard in all five prior lifetime starts -- including a pair of fourth-place finishes in the May 2 Two Thousand Guineas and June 6 Epsom Derby -- failed in his bid to overturn a ban incurred during the Royal Ascot. "It's great news and I'm delighted," said Fortune of getting the chance to ride the winner of last year's Tyro S (Ire-G3). "Dropping back to a mile and a quarter should suit him and I should think he has a great chance." With Britain currently in the grip of a heatwave, concerns over the state of Sandown's ground for Saturday's race were allayed by the track's director of racing, Andrew Cooper. "Friday looks the first sign of us having any rain this week," Cooper told PA Sport. "The view we've taken is that we should do enough, irrigation-wise, so we go in to Thursday night on good-to-firm ground. If we catch some rain, it shouldn't ease too much, but if we don't, it shouldn't be rattling-fast ground."
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