The final major dress-rehearsal ahead of the opening of Ireland's first floodlit all-weather racetrack will take place at Dundalk today when four "mock" races will be run on the new Polytrak surface.

A maximum total of 14 runners will take part in each of the races which will begin at 12.30pm with a one-mile event. Races will also be run at a mile and a quarter, six furlongs and five furlongs.

Some of Ireland's top jockeys, including the in-form Johnny Murtagh, are expected to test out the new racecourse for the first time under a simulated race day organised by racing's regulatory body, the Turf Club.

However, the focus won't just be on the racecourse itself as representatives of many other racing groups will also use today to familiarise themselves with the new €38 million project.

"The whole idea is to allow everybody get to know the place. For instance, we want to have the ambulance personnel familiarise themselves with the ambulance tracks and so on. It will also allow various officials to familiarise themselves with the new Dundalk," said the Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan yesterday.

The body's inspectors will also use today to assess the capability of Dundalk to host its first meeting in 12 days' time when up to 6,000 people are expected to attend. "We will test the facilities in advance of Sunday week to make everything is as it should be," Egan continued.

"There's no reason to suggest there will be any problems at all. Members of the licensing committee have been up there on a regular basis for the past year."

The new course was widely praised by jockeys Fran Berry and Willie Supple after a series of gallops last Tuesday.

Leopardstown racetrack will have its own innovation in place ahead of Sunday's Desmond Stakes fixture as Horse Racing Ireland have installed a mobile phone ticketing system that will be tried out for the first time.

Customers can buy admission tickets ahead of the meeting on www.leopardstown.com and have a bar code ticket sent to their mobile phones which can then be scanned at the track. Users of the news system will have a €5 discount from the usual €15 admission cost.

HRI's racecourse chief executive, Niall Mackey, said: "On-line sales for tickets to Leopardstown have doubled this season and we believe this trend will accelerate in the coming years as we continue to attract younger web-savvy racegoers."

Looking further ahead, the Leopardstown authorities also officially launched the Tattersalls Millions Irish Champion Stakes yesterday where trainer Jim Bolger confirmed that Finsceal Beo will run in the mile-and-a-quarter highlight early next month if ground conditions are suitable.

The dual-1,000 Guineas winner also holds an entry in the Group One Matron Stakes on the same card but Finsceal Beo will be targeted at the Champion Stakes which has grown into one of Europe's premier races in the last two decades.

Tattersalls have taken over sponsorship of the race on a three-year deal and could end up with another star-studded field with last year's winner Dylan Thomas a possible starter alongside his old rival Notnowcato and Finsceal Beo.

The latter has to have good ground, however, and if the going is not suitable at Leopardstown next month, Bolger indicated she could be re-routed to the likes of the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket and the Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp.

He also indicated yesterday that the current plan is for Finsceal Beo to remain in training as a four-year-old.

Kevin Prendergast's Haatef and Ger Lyons's An Tadh are the two Irish representatives remaining in Saturday's Group Three Hungerford Stakes over seven furlongs at Newbury.

Also among the entries remaining in the race are the Group One winners Red Evie and Soldiers Tale as well as Godolphin's Caradak, winner of last year's Prix La Foret, who could have his first start of 2007.

HRI also announced yesterday that last Saturday's cancelled Kilbeggan meeting has been rescheduled for Saturday, September 1st.