Epsom Preview:All My Loving can do what two of her sisters failed to and land this afternoon's Epsom Oaks while at the same time help to provide Aidan O'Brien with the perfect preparation for tomorrow's mammoth assault on the Derby.
Ireland's champion trainer has a staggering eight of the final field of 19 runners for racing's blue riband as he goes in pursuit of the hot favourite Authorized and a possible third Derby victory.
In comparison, O'Brien's team of four runners for the Oaks seems almost paltry but along with the John Oxx-trained Four Sins, they provide a good chance of giving Ireland a ninth success in Britain's premier fillies classic.
O'Brien has already won the race three times and came close on two other occasions with Quarter Moon and Yesterday who were both placed.
They were Group One winners coming here but their sister All My Loving is having just her third career start and was beaten on her last outing at Chester by Light Shift who, along with the favourite Passage Of Time, provides the legendary Henry Cecil with two chances of an eighth Oaks victory.
Cecil's comeback from almost career oblivion, and his brave fight against cancer, will make him a sentimental favourite and the Group One winner, Passage Of Time, especially has form that is in a different league to All My Loving.
However, the prospect of soft ground is likely to even things up considerably.
Since both her sisters appreciated a little dig in the going, it is not unreasonable to expect the same of O'Brien's filly who will be ridden by the French champion Christophe Soumillon.
Michael Kinane will be on Four Sins but she will ideally need drier ground than she is likely to get. Nevertheless she looks a much more likely prospect than last weekend's Irish Guineas third Peeping Fawn who makes a quick reappearance.
O'Brien will be doubly represented in the Coronation Cup where last year's Derby winner Sir Percy tries to emulate Roberto by completing the Epsom double.
He is joined by the St Leger hero Sixties Icon who won well at Newmarket last month but on the going, it may well be that Septimus will make them both move. John Murtagh's mount was impressive in his Mooresbridge Stakes return and appears to hold better claims than Scorpion.
Details of a bonus scheme for next year's edition of the Parknasilla Hotel Goffs Millions races were announced yesterday by the Goffs Chairman Eimear Mulhern.
Horses bought at this autumn's Million Sale will qualify to run in the 2008 series of races in which the winners of the colts and fillies races get €1 million each.
However, it was confirmed yesterday that if they go on to win either the Irish 2,000 or 1,000 Guineas the following year, they will receive an extra €1 million bonus.
This year's races will be run at the Curragh on Friday, September 14th, and the €3.2 million prize fund split between the two races make it the most valuable single raceday in Europe.
There's an unlikely Derby link at Tramore this evening where the ex-John Oxx-trained Ehsan has the second jumping start of his career in the two and a half mile maiden hurdle.
After his winning Curragh debut two years ago, the son of Sinndar and the Irish Oaks winner Ebadiyla briefly found himself near the forefront of the Epsom ante-post betting.
However, his one subsequent start for Oxx was a fifth in the Gallinule Stakes.
Now trained by James McAuley, he started his new career at Tipperary last month when fourth Dark Bolero and that experience should help him reverse placings with Salt Lake.
