Algiers goes from the 'Big A' to plan B in Canada on Saturday

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hope Algiers is being rerouted from Aqueduct, known locally as the 'Big A', to Canada for his Santa Anita prep on October 7 after connections elected to swerve his intended trial in the Grade 2 Woodward Stakes last Saturday.

The New York track was hit by freak rain prior to the meeting which made the turf track unusable and led to the featured Joe Hirsch Turf Classic to be postponed for a week.

The Grade 2 Woodward Stakes went ahead as scheduled but trainers Simon and Ed Crisford decided not to risk their Dubai World Cup runner-up, especially as he had barely been able to get out of the quarantine yard at the track due to the amount of standing water.

Ed Crisford said: “Algiers breezed well on Tuesday morning and the revised plan is to take him up to Canada for the Grade 3 Durham Cup, which is staged on Tapeta over a mile and a sixteenth. We see this very much as a trial before we look at the Breeders' Cup.”

The Crisfords had booked William Buick for the ride at Aqueduct, but he is set to be back at the New York track this Saturday for the rearranged Joe Hirsch to ride Godolphin’s Rebel's Romance.

Crisford said: “William is in New York next Saturday and we believe James Doyle will be riding at Keeneland so we have booked Rab Havlin to go over. He rode him last year."

Charlie Appleby, speaking at the Tattersalls October Sales, said: "The plan is for William to fly out to New York on Saturday where Rebel's Romance goes in the rearranged Joe Hirsch. We also have Measured Time going out there. 

"On the same day, James Doyle will be going to Keeneland to partner Master Of The Seas in the Coolmore Turf Mile."

Royal Champion (Jack Mitchell) wins the Wolferton Stakes Ascot 20.6.23 Pic: Edward WhitakerCredit: Edward Whitaker

Doyle is expected to be in Toronto the following day, however, as he has been booked to partner Roger Varian’s hope Royal Champion in the featured Grade 1 Canadian International.

The five-year-old, a winner at Royal Ascot this year, is already in Canada where connections expect hm to be suited by the track in the $750,000 contest.

Varian said: “We’ve never won the Canadian International although we’ve had some luck in the other big race on the card, the E P Taylor Stakes, over the years. Royal Champion is going there a fresh horse and we expect the tight left-handed layout of the track to play to his strengths."

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