Alive Alive Oh puzzles connections Alive Alive Oh's lifeless run in the Blandford Stakes last weekend still has connections scratching their heads. The Tommy Stack-trained filly appeared to have a huge future when winning a Listed race at Navan by six lengths in early June. She was pulled out at the eleventh hour before both the Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot and the Irish Oaks on account of fast ground but reappeared in the Curragh Group Two on good ground. At no stage did she appear to be travelling and no excuse has been found yet. "We don't really know why she ran so bad, she just ran lifeless," Stack's son and assistant Fozzy said. "We've sent her off for a few tests and things to see if anything shows up. "She seems well, she's eating up and everything but we're just on the back foot with her at the moment. "It's too early to say how long she might be out for, we'll take it day-by-day. "We'd like to think she's capable of mixing it at the top level but after her performance on Saturday, maybe not." Meanwhile, stablemate Cape Of Approval could tackle both the Prix de l'Abbaye at Longchamp and the QIPCO British Champions Sprint at Ascot before the season is out. Tommy Stack's smart four-year-old returned from over two months off the track with a decent effort in the Renaissance Stakes at the Curragh last weekend when he was sixth behind Russian Soul. He had beaten Maarek at Cork previously and as he likes to get his toe into the ground, connections feel they may as well have a crack at the big races with conditions likely to be in his favour. Fozzy Stack commented: "He ran a great race, he was only beaten a length and a bit. He could have finished even closer but he met a troubled passage. "He'd been off since the beginning of June so it was a good comeback effort. "He seems well after the race, I'm not quite sure about the plan. We might go to Longchamp on Arc weekend for the Abbaye (October 6) or to Ascot on Champions Day (October 19), maybe even the two of them. "He needs an ease in the ground, but he seems progressive and hopefully he keeps going the right way."
