Geraghty is back on Ansar

Barry Geraghty has stepped in for the ride on the market mover Ansar in Sunday week's Hatton's Grace Hurdle.

The Galway Hurdle winner's usual jockey, Paul Carberry, will be on the ante-post favourite Limestone Lad in the Fairyhouse feature, so Dermot Weld has opted to reunite Geraghty with Ansar.

"Paul Carberry obviously rides Limestone Lad but Ansar is very much an intended runner and is in very good form," the Curragh trainer said yesterday.

Geraghty rode Ansar to the first of his two victories at the Galway festival in early August and was praised by Weld for the ride he gave the horse.

Cashmans' initial price of 10 to 1 for Ansar in the run-up to the big clash in nine days' time was quickly snapped up and he is now 7 to 1 despite a poor run in the Leopardstown November Handicap last time.

"He's just probably better over hurdles than he is on the flat these days and he was coming to the end of a long season at Leopardstown.

"He had been on the go a long time since the Chester Cup in the spring, two runs at Galway, a race at Tralee, winning at Tipperary: He also had 9 to 4 at Leopardstown but he is in good form now," Weld added.

One star name that will be missing from Sunday's Morris Oil Chase at Clonmel will be Nick Dundee.

Trainer Edward O'Grady said yesterday: "The horse is perfect. We have a couple of options for him but it will be December before he runs." Asked if the Cheltenham Gold Cup is on the agenda for the former star novice this season, O'Grady replied: "That would be a lovely plan. We'd be thrilled if it were to happen but we'll take it a day at a time."

Knife Edge is set to feature in tomorrow's Woodlands Park Chase at Naas, where the former top hurdler Colonel Yeager is reported set to begin a career over fences in the beginners' chase.

Golan was yesterday handed a middle draw for Sunday's $2.75m Japan Cup. Johnny Murtagh's mount will start in stall seven in a 15-runner field for the mile-and-a-half race in Tokyo.

The English 2,000 Guineas winner is 6 to 1 third favourite with Coral to give trainer Sir Michael Stoute a third win in Japan's biggest race.

German challenger Paolini was drawn in stall 14, just outside two of the American raiders Timboroa (12) and With Anticipation (13).

The US team is completed by Cagney (stall three) and White Heart (nine), with Hong Kong represented by Indigenous (11).

T M Opera, favourite to repeat last year's win in the race, will start from stall four.

John Dunlop is "comfortable and making progress" after undergoing a stomach operation last week.

His wife Sue said in a statement: "After an assessment, he underwent a successful operation to repair a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm. He is comfortable and making steady progress on a general ward."