NEWS DIGEST: SEAMIE HEFFERNAN is looking forward to getting the leg up on Yeats at Navan tomorrow as the pair bid to bring up a hat-trick in the Vintage Crop Stakes.

Aidan O’Brien’s eight-year-old has taken this Listed prize for the last two years under Heffernan before going on to win his second and third Gold Cups at Royal Ascot.

Heffernan reports the legendary stayer to be in fine form at home and although he is likely to improve for the run, the rider is hopeful Yeats’ class will see him through.

“I’m really looking forward to the weekend. I’ve sat on him at home and he seems ready enough to start off,” said Heffernan.

“Aidan likes to start him off in this race as it is a spin away from home and a nice confidence-booster for him.

“I’d say he’s very similar to how he was at this stage last year, so hopefully he is forward enough to the business.

“He is a top-class stayer so you would be hopeful he has the class to see him through.

“It would be great to win it for a third year but I suppose the easiest thing to do is ride the best horse in the race, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Yeats is likely to face a stern test on his seasonal reappearance with recent Curragh winner Baron De’L lining up for Edward Harty.

John Oxx’s Alandi is another interesting contender, while Hindu Kush and The Betchworth Kid both make the journey from England.

The latter finished second on his seasonal reappearance at Nottingham earlier this month and his owner Henry Ponsonby is in confident mood as he bids to go one better.

“I’m told there is a lot of rain happening and a lot of rain being forecast which will be very much in our favour,” Ponsonby said.

“I think Yeats is going to get a bit of a shock on Sunday. Our horse ran well on his comeback but he is a two-stone better horse on soft ground.”

Luca Cumani unveils a fascinating recruit for his stable as Cima De Triomphe takes in tomorrow’s Prix Ganay at Longchamp.

The first Group One of the European season has attracted a fascinating field of nine and Cumani has booked top French rider Christophe Lemaire for his charge.

Cima De Triomphe used to be trained in Cumani’s native Italy and as well as being a Group One winner on home soil, was only beaten six lengths by Zarkava in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe despite having to go wide around the field.

Cumani used the same race as a starting point with another Italian import, the brilliant Falbrav, who was third to Fair Mix in 2003 before going on to win five Group Ones.

Cumani said: “He came to us in December and this will be his first run for me. He’s a very straightforward horse, a very good looking horse. He has been training well and he is ready for his first start of the year.

“He seems to have sufficient speed to make me think that he will be effective over a mile and a quarter.”

Cima De Triomphe is entered in all the major races over various distances, but when asked if he had a particular objective in mind, the Newmarket handler continued: “Not yet. I’m still getting to know the horse and he is getting to know me – so we are trying to work together to get the highest possible result. This is a starting point and we will learn something from this.

“It is the right time (to start) and as I said, the horse is ready for his first start of the season.”

Former Aidan O’Brien inmate The Bogberry represents Alain de Royer-Dupre, while last year’s French Derby winner Vision D’Etat is another notable starter.

Last year’s Jersey Stakes winner Aqlaam is likely to make his seasonal reappearance in the Juddmonte Lockinge Stakes next month after connections decided to sidestep an outing at Leicester this weekend.

The Willie Haggas inmate has been off the track since that impressive success at Royal Ascot last June but connections had hoped to see him return in today’s totesport.com Leicestershire Stakes.

However, with conditions at the track likely to be fast connections have decided to keep their powder dry and go straight for Newbury’s Group One heat in May 16th.

Angus Gold, racing manager to owner Hamdan Al Maktoum, said: “He will probably go to the Lockinge now. We just didn’t want to run him up that hill at Leicester on fast ground.”

Prime Defender is heading east for a valuable prize in the KrisFlyer International Sprint in Singapore on May 17th.

A regular in both the big handicaps and even the Group Ones, the Barry Hills-trained five-year-old opened his account for the season by winning the Cammidge Trophy at Doncaster.

Hills’ son and assistant Charlie said: “He’s going to go to Singapore and will leave on May 7th.

“It’s a big prize, and hopefully he will be back here in time to run at Royal Ascot. If he is not ready for that, he’ll go for the July Cup.” The booking of Nina Carberry for Heroes in the Home-Tek Lady Riders’ Handicap Hurdle at Wetherby tomorrow catches the eye. Heroes began his career with Geoff Huffer, racing in the colours of Phil Cunningham, owner of 2,000 Guineas winner Cockney Rebel.

While he was never going to scale the heights of his famous stablemate, he had an early rating of 92 on the level and not many horses with such a handicap mark are sent hurdling nowadays.

Heroes is now in the care of up-and-coming trainer Tim Vaughan and while his three initial runs over timber did not amount to much, the booking of a high-profile rider such as Carberry suggests connections must still have high hopes.

Racing off a mark of 88, it will be very disappointing if Heroes does not get involved on his handicap debut.