Crystal Black could head straight to Irish Champions Festival Crystal Black looks likely to skip the Irish St Leger Trial at the Curragh on Saturday with trainer Gerry Keane considering going straight to the final Irish Classic of the season or other Group races over Irish Champions Festival in September. The seven-year-old gelding, who memorably rattled through the grades with a five-timer between September 2023 and the following August, was beaten half a length into second in the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown last week after an almost four-month break. Keane said: "Crystal Black came out of his race well and while he is in the St Leger Trial on Saturday, it will probably come too quick. The St Leger had been the plan and he'll either run in it or another of the Group races on Champions Weekend. "Colin (Keane) was happy with him and said he had a blow at the furlong pole before getting second wind to run on. The winner (Sons And Lovers) who is a good horse, and there was no shame in finishing second to him, beat him for fitness but whether we'd beat him with 100 per cent fitness, who knows. "He is a Group 2 or 3 horse so if he stays right for his owners, there is plenty more fun and prize money to be won with him in those races." Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
