Leopardstown the target for Cirrus Des Aigles French star Cirrus Des Aigles will not lock horns with Frankel in the Juddmonte International at York after he failed to recover from an ankle injury. Last year's English Champion Stakes hero added to his Group One tally in the Dubai Sheema Classic and the Prix Ganay earlier this year, but was narrowly beaten by Golden Lilac in the Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp on his last start. Trainer Corine Barande-Barbe had been looking forward to seeing her pride and joy take on the world's highest-rated racehorse on the Knavesmire on August 22nd, but he could now be re-routed to the Red Mills Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on September 8th. "The cut he sustained to his ankle was a very deep one which quickly became infected and the wound took longer to heal than I had hoped," the trainer told the Guardian. "I kept him walking every day but I didn't want him to gallop on the sand while he was still recovering and, although he is working again now, there won't be enough time to get him ready for York. "It is a great shame as I was looking forward to running him there (at York), but there are other races for him and I will now try to get him ready for Leopardstown. "After that, there is Ascot, or I may look for a race at Longchamp on Arc weekend. "He has recovered well from the injury and I have no doubt that he will come back as good as ever but we have just run out of time."
