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Irish option for Mirza

Mirza seen here winning at CorkMirza seen here winning at Cork
© Photo Healy Racing

Mirza is set to have a warm-up race ahead of his bid for the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp next month.

The seven-year-old showed he was a force to be reckoned with on the sprinting front when getting within a neck of conceding 4lb to Pearl Secret in the Beverley Bullet on Saturday.

Trainer Rae Guest will now consider three options for Mirza before he has a second crack at the Abbaye, in which he was unplaced last year.

The Prix du Petit Couvert at Longchamp on September 14, the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh the same day and the Dubai International Airport World Trophy at Newbury on September 20 are all possible targets.

"The Abbaye is his end-of-season target and he will have a trial race in between," said Guest.

"He's in the Flying Five in Ireland in about two weeks time, he's also in the French race he dead-heated in last year the same weekend.

"That would be his preferred one, depending on several things, and there's a Group Three race at Newbury a few days after that. He'll go for one of those three.

"We were worried about the ground at Beverley, but now he's getting older he's able to take faster ground.

"He's fine this morning, he takes his racing very well these days and we're very pleased with him.

"Morally he was the winner. He gave the winner 4lb and only got beaten a neck."