Godolphin book Reid

Super-sub John Reid will try to successfully step into Frankie Dettori's shoes for the second time in a week when he takes the ride on Kayf Tara in Saturday's Jefferson Smurfit Irish St Leger.

Reid took the English Leger on Nedawi when Dettori had to ride Swain in the Irish Champion Stakes, and with the Italian committed to riding Aljabr in the Prix de Salamandre, the Co Down-born rider has again come in for a plum spare ride.

"Kayf Tara is in good form and with Frankie going to France, John Reid will ride in the Leger," a Godolphin spokesperson confirmed yesterday.

Kayf Tara, winner of this year's Ascot Gold Cup, is one of 14 left in after yesterday's forfeit stage. However, one definite absentee is Urgano, whose German trainer Hans Blume said: "His name should not have appeared among the acceptors. I made a forfeit through the Direktorium in Cologne yesterday."

Another likely to miss the race is the 1997 Ascot Gold Cup winner, Celeric. He figures with stable companion Silver Patriarch in the entries, but John Dunlop's racing secretary Marcus Hosgood said yesterday: "Silver Patriarch is a likely runner but soft ground would not suit the other horse. We will probably have just the one runner."

Other English-based challengers are likely to include Henry Cecil's Memorise and the Michael Stoute-trained Delilah. The latter won the Park Hill at Doncaster last week

The going at the Curragh is currently soft, with more rain forecast for tomorrow.

Aidan O'Brien has half of the 20 entries still left in the Group One Aga Khan Studs National Stakes on Sunday. Coliseum is likely to be the Ballydoyle standard-bearer but O'Brien said yesterday that he will have some other strings to his bow in the race.