Bayan has Petingo target Galway Hurdle runner-up Bayan has the 150,000-euro Irish Stallion Farms EBF 'Petingo' Handicap on Qipco Irish Champion Stakes Day at Leopardstown on September 13 as his next objective. The valuable heat will be run over 14 furlongs and Bayan finished third in a similar event over the course and distance in the Movember Handicap last year. The Danehill Dancer gelding was below par at Ripon in April, but after a break he returned to Leopardstown to score in a one-mile-six-furlong handicap in July and again connections have a prize at the Foxrock venue in their sights. A 14,000-guineas buy from the Brian Meehan yard at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses-In-Training Sale in 2012, Bayan has provided his owners, the Core Syndicate, and trainer Gordon Elliott, with much enjoyment since. The Core Syndicate includes At The Races presenter Gary O'Brien, and he said: "He has developed into a right horse for us. He was a little disappointing at Ripon, but apart from that he's never really let us down. "He was third in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham, he won the Lartigue at Listowel as well as finishing second in the big handicap on the Friday evening at Galway in 2013. "That race coming up at Leopardstown fits into his schedule and races like The Ladbroke at Ascot could be an option for him later on."
