SATURDAY'S MEETINGS:AWAIT THE Dawn heads a Balldoyle team on their travels today in the attempt to secure Aidan O'Brien a "Lucky 13" in terms of Group One prizes this year.
Joshua Tree (Colm O’Donoghue) flies the Irish flag in tonight’s €1.4 million Canadian International at Woodbine in Toronto but the principal focus will be on Newmarket where the Emirates Airline Champion Stakes has to compete for centre-stage with a vintage renewal of the Dewhurst.
The much-anticipated clash of the dual Group One winner Dream Ahead, Godolphin’s Saamidd and the hugely-touted Frankel means that the O’Brien representative, Roderic O’Connor, and Jim Bolger’s Glor Na Mara have been firmly reduced to supporting roles.
Bolger though has a recent Dewhurst three-in-a-row under his belt and yesterday O’Brien revealed Europe’s most prestigious juvenile prize has been a long-term target for Roderic O’Connor.
“From the time he started working he has been highly thought of,” he said. “It’s a very competitive Dewhurst but we’ll all know a lot more after it.”
O’Brien has won the Dewhurst twice before but he is winless in the Champion and filling that blank could take the champion trainer off the dozen Group One victories he has notched up already in 2010.
“This race was always going to be an option for Await The Dawn after he won at Leopardstown on Irish Champion Stakes day. He didn’t run in the spring but we’ve always thought he was very nice,” he said.
Last year’s winner Twice Over is back for another crack at the Champion in which Vision D’Etat and Fuisse represent a strong French challenge.
Irish hopes at Newmarket today also include a strong three-pronged attack on the Cesarewitch where Dermot Weld has both Majestic Concorde and Universal Truth representing him in an attempt to emulate Vintage Crop’s 1992 triumph in the big staying handicap.
Eoin Griffin’s Admiral Barry was yesterday disputing favouritism with Universal Truth who will be ridden by the Co Galway-born claimer Leigh Roche.
Majestic Concorde’s jockey Pat Smullen also teams up with Duff today in the Group Two Challenge Stakes while Danny Grant has a rare Newmarket spin on board the stalwart mare She’s Our Mark in the Group Two Pride Stakes.
The Jim Bolger-Kevin Manning team won the 2006 Rockfel with the subsequent dual-classic heroine Finsceal Beo and are represented in the race today by the Roscommon maiden winner Hurricane Havoc.
Ballingarry was a Ballydoyle winner of the Canadian International in 2002 and Joshua Tree is drawn seven of the nine runners tonight. There are two French trained runners in the field as well as the course and distance winner Redwood from the Barry Hills yard.
“He has travelled over well. Jamie (Spencer) felt the mile and six in the Leger was too far so the trip should suit,” O’Brien said yesterday. “I’m not sure there’s a lot of pace in the race but he’s a very straight-forward horse.”
Downpatrick hosts a celebration of 325 years of racing in the North of Ireland this afternoon and the in-form Vinnie will be a popular fancy in the first of the Beginners Chases.
Cork’s feature is the Listed Navigation Stakes over a mile where the Irish Cambridgeshire winner Hujaylea can continue his remarkable progress this season.
** The bookmaker Gerard “Dixie” Dalton has had his on-course betting permit revoked by Horse Racing Ireland after he failed to pay out on bets at last month’s Listowel festival. HRI’s Bookmakers Committee made the decision yesterday following complaints concerning non-payment of bets. “All complaints submitted to HRI by punters have been forwarded to Mr Dalton who remains responsible for their payment,” said HRI’s betting spokesman, Paul Finegan, yesterday.
