Los Angeles is set to run either in the Betfred St Leger or the Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes on September 14.
Aidan O’Brien’s Irish Derby winner overcame a 5lb penalty to win the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York last week, narrowly fending off stablemate Illinois in the final stages of the 12-furlong race.
If Los Angeles stays at home for the Irish Champion Stakes, he will race over 10 furlongs. However, if he heads to Doncaster for the St Leger, he will tackle a mile and three-quarters.
O’Brien has strong contenders for both races. Auguste Rodin is expected to feature prominently in the Irish Champions Festival, while at Doncaster, Illinois, the unbeaten Jan Brueghel, and Grosvenor Square are leading the betting.
With City Of Troy likely to skip the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in favour of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, a strong performance by Los Angeles at Leopardstown could secure him a spot in Paris.
“He could run in either the St Leger or the Irish Champion Stakes. If he’s aiming for the Arc, he might go for the Irish Champion Stakes,” O’Brien said.
“We’ll assess the ground conditions at Doncaster, and there are three other horses that could run in the St Leger if Los Angeles does not. He seems to have come out of the York race well, so we’ll see how things develop over the next couple of weeks.”