Murtagh is booked for Daliapour

The Derby-winning rider John Murtagh, currently in the middle of a classic-winning streak, has been handed the chance to land yet another Group One international prize on Daliapour in Saturday week's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes.

Formerly handled by Luca Cumani, who saddled him to finish second in the English and Irish Derbys, Daliapour is now in the care of Michael Stoute, for whom he won the Coronation Cup at Epsom on his last start.

Murtagh landed last Sunday's Kildangan Stud Irish Oaks for Stoute on Petrushka and won the Epsom Derby in June on Sinndar, whose owner, the Aga Khan, also has Daliapour.

"It has been decided that John Murtagh will ride Daliapour in the King George," a spokesperson for Stoute confirmed yesterday. "The colt seems to be in good form."

Murtagh doubled up on Sinndar in the Budweiser Irish Derby, as well as partnering three winners at Royal Ascot, before scoring on Petrushka at the weekend.

The Newmarket trainer and the Aga Khan combined to win the King George in 1981 with the great Shergar but this will be Murtagh's first leading ride in the Ascot mid-summer showpiece.

Cashmans bet yesterday: 4/5 Montjeu, 8 Daliapour and Shiva, 9 Fruits Of Love, 10 Fantastic Light, Kayf Tara and Beat Hollow, 12 Beat All and Ramruma.

The defection of Grimes from today's £20,000 Murphys Handicap Hurdle at Killarney throws the weights and the race wide open, and maybe Gift Token, lurking at the bottom of the handicap, can provide the solution.

Three reasonable runs on the flat have followed a hurdles second to Colins Double at Navan, and with Paul Carberry on board, Gift Token is given a tentative nod.

Carberry is also selected to win the opener on the Dermot Weld-trained Francis Bay, who won well at Ballinrobe last time over fences; and Gift Token's trainer Pat Hughes could be on the double too, courtesy of Silver Spray in the mile handicap.

Beacon Lane was an unlucky last-fence faller at Cork a fortnight ago, but even if it was over three miles that they clashed in May, Twilight Buck still beat Beacon Lane by 20 lengths at the same track. This is half a mile shorter but Twilight Buck led three out that day and was set to run well at Roscommon last time, too, when falling four out.