News: Dimitrova will fly the Irish flag at tomorrow night's prestigious Jockey Club Gold Cup meeting at Belmont Park in New York.
Dermot Weld has flown to the US to oversee the final preparations for the Flower Bowl Invitational Handicap, one of a series of Grade One races on a spectacular card.
Godolphin will be heavily represented at the meeting with Moon Ballad, fifth in the Irish Champion Stakes earlier this month, going in the Jockey Club and the Arlington Million-winner, Sulamani, likely to be favourite for the Turf Classic.
However, Irish interest will centre on Dimitrova, winner of Del Mar's American Oaks on July 5th, and runner-up to Indy Five Hundred in the Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap at Belmont earlier this month.
Jerry Bailey has again been booked by Weld for the ride on the Swain filly whose best home effort was when third to Yesterday in the Irish 1,000 Guineas.
While Weld is in New York his great rival Aidan O'Brien will be concentrating his efforts on tomorrow's festival of racing at Ascot.
The Ballydoyle trainer left in two runners in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and the Meon Valley Fillies Mile, both Group One races that were declared yesterday.
Middlemarch has been left in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes alongside Statue Of Liberty while Oh So Precious joins the Moyglare Stud Stakes-winner, Necklace, in the Fillies' Mile.
O'Brien had expressed concerns earlier in the week about the ground at Ascot for Necklace but with overnight rain forecast, the Darshaan filly should get the "safe" going her trainer wanted.
Horse Racing Ireland announced yesterday the meetings scheduled for Gowran on November 20th and Clonmel on November 23rd have had their dates switched. The Gowran card will now be run on the Sunday instead of the Thursday.
John Murtagh travels to Down Royal today where he rides Countrywide Flyer for the Lancashire -based trainer Alan Berry in the seven-furlong claimer for two year olds.
It will be a ninth start for the Revoque gelding who has been placed in his last six but has yet to win. Clearly the British raider is no star but his experience could tip the balance his way in this company. Murtagh is also on the Indian Ridge filly Frost Fair for John Oxx in the seven furlong conditions race and even with horses rated as high as the 108 Mombassa in opposition, the Galway winner may be open to improvement. Pharrihy scraped home from Cooldine Prince at Listowel over two miles and has been upped 8lb for that. However, the three miles of today's handicap hurdle should be much more suitable and the Paul Nolan-trained runner could well follow up.
Niallon is 5lb higher for a Fairyhouse success on Saturday but the value alternative in the seven furlong handicap looks to be Callas, runner up to Janadan at Listowel.
