Dorans Pride is set to make a pre-Christmas English raid on Saturday when he takes part in the three-mile Tommy Whittle Chase at Haydock.
Still a possible contender for Kempton's King George VI Chase, Dorans Pride is a probable member of a team that trainer Michael Hourigan is assembling for the weekend at the Lancashire track.
"He's almost certain to run and is very well at the moment. We will decide about Christmas afterwards," Hourigan said yesterday.
The other Hourigan runners include Honey Trader and Doon Run but Dorans Pride will be the star attraction in his first race in England since last March's Cheltenham Gold Cup. Paul Hourigan will ride.
Brother Of Iris's price for the big Cheltenham Festival chase tumbled again following his success in the ATS Handicap Chase at Wetherby leaving his owners clutching their ante-post vouchers (100 to 1) even more tightly.
He was cut from 40 to 1 to 33 to 1 by William Hill on Saturday morning, but then clearly impressed by his performance in the afternoon they shortened him to 20 to 1, though he remains 33 to 1 with Coral.
The Mary Reveley-trained gelding had been raised 9 lb. for his win at Ayr but had no difficulty seeing off his two rivals and a more immediate target is the Rowland Meyrick Handicap Chase back at Wetherby on December 27th.
Pat Smullen's start to his two-month Hong Kong stint as a club rider proved something of damp squib at Happy Valley on Saturday. The Irish rider was unplaced on all his six mounts and he got no closer than seventh on Key Largo in the finale, the Mody Handicap.
Kieren Fallon, whose Hong Kong ban ended yesterday, has been booked by Ivan Allan for the ride on the Derby fourth and British import, Housemaster, in the Group Two Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Michael Kinane will be one of the European representatives in the International Jockeys' Championship at Happy Valley on Wednesday.
Laffit Pincay edged closer to Willie Shoemaker's world record of 8,833 winners, following success on Lazy Lode in the Grade One Hollywood Turf Cup Handicap on Saturday. The Panamian-born star, who had further rides at Hollywood Park yesterday, hit the 8,830 mark on Lazy Lode.
