Smullen looking to extend title lead

PAT SMULLEN will attempt to extend his jockeys' championship lead at Navan this afternoon before heading to Los Angeles where he will team up with Winchester in Saturday night's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita.

Both Smullen and Dermot Weld are seeking their first Breeders' Cup success and Winchester will face a stiff task against Aidan O'Brien's Soldier Of Fortune and Michael Stoute's Leger hero Conduit amongst others in the mile-and-a-half turf event.

However, Winchester is rated as low as a 6 to 1 chance for the race despite not having started since a spectacular victory on his last American trip in August's Secretariat Stakes at Arlington.

The American jockey Rene Douglas rode him on that occasion but stable jockey Smullen is back on board this time for Winchester's first attempt back at a mile and a half since finishing only seventh in the Irish Derby.

"He's a very effective horse at 10 furlongs, winning the Secretariat and beating Moonstone in the best maiden of the year at Leopardstown, and also finishing second in the Silver Stakes," Weld said yesterday.

"So the trip is the thing with him. We felt he didn't get home in the Irish Derby after travelling well for a lot of the race. Having said that a mile and a half around Santa Anita is not the stiffest test and he will be fine on the ground. So we're hopeful," he added.

The nearest Weld has come to Breeders' Cup success in the past came when Brief Truce was an unlucky third to Lure in the Mile at Gulfstream Park 16 years ago.

It is a different story in Australia's Melbourne Cup where he hopes to add to past victories for Vintage Crop and Media Puzzle with the Moyglare-owned filly Profound Beauty. "She has had a little foot problem and missed a couple of days which is not ideal. But she seems fully recovered and is back in light exercise," Weld reported.

Johnny Murtagh has been booked to ride Jeremy Noseda's filly Fleeting Spirit in the Turf Sprint on Saturday to add to an already impressive book of rides at Santa Anita which also includes the David Wachman-trained pair, Bushranger and Pursuit Of Glory.

Bushranger goes for the Juvenile on the main track while his stable companion also runs on the Pro-Ride synthetic surface in the Juvenile Fillies. "Bushranger has been in great form since Newmarket (Middle Park Stakes) and he has already had a great season," Wachman said. "His form looks very good after the Dewhurst."

He added: "Pursuit Of Glory should have come forward again from her last run so we are hopeful she will run well."

Pat Smullen's best chance at Navan today looks to come in the concluding fillies race where Lunduv's 92 rating makes her hard to oppose.

Smullen is on 80 winners for the season and currently leads his championship rivals Fran Berry and Murtagh by three winners as he attempts to secure a fifth jockeys' title in Ireland.

He teams up with Weld again for the newcomer Barrel Of Fun in the mile juvenile maiden, a race that Aidan O'Brien has dominated in recent years and in which he pitches in three Montjeu colts this time.

Séamus Heffernan, who will be on board Masterofthehorse in Saturday's Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster, has chosen Sirgarfieldsobers and there should be much more from this colt than he showed on his debut last August.

Fairy Flow followed up a course win with another victory at Cork on Saturday and Joanna Morgan's horse can complete a hat-trick in the apprentice handicap.