Ireland has two bullets to fire in tonight's opening salvoes of the 2007 Breeders' Cup at Monmouth Park in New Jersey where Aidan O'Brien's Achill Island and Dermot Weld's Domestic Fund are among the favourites for the $1 million juvenile turf event.
The mile contest is one of three new Breeders' Cup races which take the event over two days for the first time, and it is a race that specifically appeals to European raiders. It will be run at 10pm tonight.
As well as the Irish duo, the Middle Park runner-up Strike The Deal runs under Frankie Dettori but despite both Achill Island and Domestic Fund having finished runner-up in Group Two events on their last starts, it is the home colt, Prussian, who is the 3 to 1 morning line favourite.
Achill Island is rated next best at 7 to 2 and his jockey, John Murtagh, said: "He ran well in the Royal Lodge at Ascot, stayed the trip well and Scintillo has won a Group One since. Aidan likes him and his two-year-olds have been improving through the year. Achill Island is solid and if he can run the same as the last day he'll be thereabouts."
The Ballydoyle runner is berthed next to the favourite in stall eight but Domestic Fund, who will be blinkered for the first time, has been given a nightmare draw in the outside box of 12, presenting Pat Smullen with a major task to avoid losing ground around the tight seven-furlong circumference of the inside turf course.
Achill Island and Domestic Fund get the meeting under way for the Irish who will have five runners in tomorrow's main fixture, including the heavy Turf favourite Dylan Thomas and George Washington in the Classic.
O'Brien will pursue a fifth Racing Post Trophy in the last decade with both Frozen Fire and King Of Rome at Doncaster tomorrow.
They are part of a final field of 12 but it's the other Irish hope, Curtain Call, who has been installed a 3 to 1 favourite.
Jessica Harrington said of her Beresford Stakes winner yesterday: "The plan was always to run in the Futurity where he was runner up to New Approach. Then there wasn't time to run in a maiden before the Beresford so he went straight there.
"Hopefully he will run well again and he's entitled to be in the line up. Providing he travels over well, he has as good a chance as anyone."
There was less good news from another National Hunt trainer yesterday as Gordon Elliot confirmed that the Grand National winner Silver Birch will not run this season. April's Aintree hero had been due to run over hurdles this weekend but has picked up a knock.
"He gave himself a knock to the off-fore leg and while it's not too serious, after talking to the owner we've decided to give him the year off.
"It's nothing serious and if we rushed him we could have him back after Christmas. But being the horse he is, he doesn't deserve that," Elliot said.
There could be a Group One pointer at tonight's Dundalk meeting where Song In My Heart, a distant second to King Of Rome at Tipperary, tries to break his duck at the third time of asking in the mile maiden.
However, David Wachman's runner looks to face a tough task against Michael Halford's Dirar who made an encouraging debut at Gowran Park when third to the much more experienced Houston Dynimo.
Aidan O'Brien runs two, El Diego and the newcomer Patriot, in the mile and a half three-year-old maiden but John Oxx will also be doubly represented and although the trip is an unknown, Houmairi ran a decent race at Gowran Park on his last start and could be worth another chance.
Akua'Ba has ground to make up on Baby Blue Eyes on Naas running behind Cheyenne Star but is 4lb better off and the Jim Bolger-Kevin Manning team are in irresistible form at present.
