Fallon to ride Genghis Khan

The British champion jockey Kieren Fallon has come in for the ride on the Aidan O'Brien trained Genghis Khan in Sunday's Budweiser Irish Derby.

A Ballydoyle spokesman also confirmed that Seamus Heffernan will ride Urban Ocean in the big race. A jockey for the fourth Ballydoyle entry Festival Hall will not be decided until today.

Fallon had been originally expecting to ride the Epsom Derby winner Oath on Sunday but he was taken out on Wednesday morning after working badly. Michael Kinane will ride the first choice O'Brien runner Tchaikovsky.

The likelihood of Montjeu taking his chance increased yesterday when the John Hammond-trained colt was withdrawn from an alternative engagement.

Montjeu was taken out of Longchamp's Grand Prix de Paris on Sunday and it was confirmed that the horse will travel to Ireland tomorrow.

A spokesman for owners Michael Tabor and Sue Magnier said yesterday: "He will travel on Saturday and he is likely to run unless the ground is firm. We are looking forward to seeing him run."

The ground was again described as good by the Curragh executive yesterday but manager Brian Kavanagh added that watering on top of Walshes Hill is likely in order to keep the going safe at the highest point of the track.

Another first time visitor to the Curragh on Saturday will be Gary Stevens who yesterday gave an upbeat bulletin on the big race favourite Beat All.

"I hope the rain stays away because if it does I think I have a big chance of winning. Beat All has done well since Epsom and I'm looking forward to riding in Ireland," the top American rider said.

Before that he will be riding at headquarters tomorrow where his mounts will include Calanado for Godolphin in the Independent Pretty Polly Stakes. Stevens will also take the mount on Michael Stoute's Maridpour in the Curragh Cup as well riding local horses Supportive and Patricia's Dream.

The Curragh weekend gets underway this evening with the highlight being the Goffs £100,000 Challenge and like many of the festival top pots this race could very easily go for export.

The most likely one to do that in the race confined to horses sold at last October's sale is Imperialist who represents the in form Richard Hannon.

Imperialist was not one of the Hannon team that did so well at Royal Ascot but she does have links to that form as she beat the subsequent Windsor Castle Stakes winner in some style at Salisbury.

Throw that in with a Sandown success, a good draw and Hannon's fine record in this and Imperialist is hard to oppose. Galloway Boy could be best of the home team.

Michael Kinane rides Lucky Legend for Aidan O'Brien in the mile maiden and with Baravelli not having run since third to Major Force at the start of the season, Lucky Legend gets the nod.

Kinane rides Scottish Memories for Frank Ennis in the concluding maiden and considering the level of form he has shown, it's somewhat surprising to see this horse still a maiden in late June. He did himself no favours when touched off by the Derby outsider Mudaaeb last month but should be up to landing this.

The prolific Osprey Ridge has a 10lb claimer on his back as he bids to extend his sequence in the Silken Thomas Handicap but a tentative selection here is Hariymi.

Osprey Ridge's trainer Kevin Prendergast can have better luck earlier though with Sarraaf in the Funky Friday Handicap and the top-weight En Retard in the Racefield Handicap.