RACING:The Tommy Stack team have confirmed their star two-year-old Myboycharlie is finished for the season and that their top-flight sights are now firmly set on New York where Alexander Tango will attempt a Grade One double at Belmont Park next week.
Alexander Tango is being targeted at the €425,000 Flower Bowl Invitational, traditionally a major trial for the Breeders' Cup filly and mare race which this year will be held at nearby Monmouth Park in New Jersey.
Earlier in the month, the filly impressively landed the Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap at Belmont, running from last to first under the local rider Shaun Bridgmohan.
"She stayed over there after that and appears to be in good form. She will do another bit of work in the morning and hopefully things will continue to go well," said Stack's son and assistant "Fozzie" yesterday.
"Hopefully the same jockey will be available to ride although he does have an arrangement to ride Steve Asmussen's horses over there."
Alexander Tango will be attempting to become just the second Irish-trained winner of the mile-and-a-quarter event which takes place on Saturday week. Dermot Weld's Dimitrova won four years ago under the champion American rider Jerry Bailey which completed a hat-trick of European victories after Kazzia in 2002 and Lailani in 2001.
Stack also confirmed that Myboycharlie, the Prix Morny hero who lost his unbeaten record in last weekend's National Stakes when third to New Approach at the Curragh, is finished for the season.
"He has come out of the race very well but the plan always was to give him four runs as a two-year-old and he has had them," he said. "The Curragh was a little inconclusive in regards to finding out whether he stayed or not so I would imagine he will run in a classic trial in the early part of next season and we will take things from there."
Despite his National Stakes defeat, Myboycharlie remains as low as 12 to 1 in some ante-post betting lists for next year's 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. The Middle Park Stakes and Dewhurst Stakes, both at Newmarket, had been proposed as possible cross-channel options for Myboycharlie before he appeared last weekend.
Benwilt Breeze from Ger Lyons's yard will fly the Irish flag in tomorrow's big handicap feature across channel, the Totesport Ayr Gold Cup. The sprinter is one of 28 in the race for which last year's runner up Borderlescott is a 7 to 1 favourite with the sponsors.
Course form on testing ground could be the crucial factor on day five of the Listowel festival and Salishan looks an ideal candidate to kick the afternoon off successfully when he tries to repeat last year's success in the six-furlong handicap.
Declan McDonogh's mount took advantage of a low draw to win easily last year and he has got lucky again this time. Salishan is only 6lb higher in the ratings compared to 2006 and crucially he looked like he was coming back to form at Roscommon last time out over seven furlongs.
Rockie is another to have won here last year and ran well enough when a 25 to 1 shot at Leopardstown on Champion Stakes day to suggest a follow up is possible in the featured €30,000 Guinness Handicap.
Young Lochinvar was a maiden winner on heavy going at the Tralee festival and should be suited by the return to testing conditions in the seven-furlong handicap after a defeat on fast ground at the Curragh. Maid Of Lorn looks the danger.
Jim hasn't run for 131 days but at his best he would be a big threat to the likes of Knight Legend and Davenport Democrat in the conditions chase.
