Ark to be boarded by Castillano

Racing: The top American rider Javier Castillano has been booked by Dermot Weld to ride Noah's Ark at Belmont Park on Sunday night.

Weld's filly will be on something of a revenge mission in the Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap as the trainer was out of luck in the Grade One last year when Dimitrova was a runner-up to Indy Five.

Noah's Ark was a Premier Handicap winner at Leopardstown last month and was Listed placed to Tropical Lady at the Curragh before that.

There is a Grade One connection at the unique Laytown beach races this afternoon and it's provided by Essex, third in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at the Punchestown festival, who goes in the seven-furlong maiden.

Ruby Walsh continues the National Hunt theme and although Essex shares an 80 flat rating with Nassaro, he looks the more progressive having run second to Ease The Way on his last start at Gowran.

Walsh and rider Barry Geraghty will be in action in the opening sprint handicap but Declan McDonagh's mount Senor Benny is in form having won at Ballinrobe and only just failing to Budelli at the Curragh on Sunday.

Knock Abbey Castle was attempting a very difficult task at the Curragh when taking on the Ballydoyle hotpot Mullins Bay but the filly should find too much for Shayrander in the last.