RACING: Top American jockey Alex Solis will be on board Grey Swallow when the 2004 Irish Derby hero bids to get his 2006 campaign off to a perfect start in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
Dermot Weld has elected to pursue an early-season US campaign with Grey Swallow, and the first stop will be at Hollywood Park this weekend when the five-year-old runs in the Grade Two Jim Murray Handicap.
The $250,000 event over a mile and a half could set up the double Group One winner for a tilt at the Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park, New York, next month, but Grey Swallow has reportedly settled in well on the west coast since travelling from Amsterdam last week.
One drawback for the Weld team, though, is that regular rider Pat Smullen is unable to travel to the US due to commitments at Leopardstown on Sunday, where possible rides include the Moyglare Stud's Polished Gem in the 1,000 Guineas Trial, and the National Stakes runner-up Golden Arrow in the Derby Trial.
Instead, the Breeders Cup winning jockey Solis will step in on the Irish star as Weld bids to continue his exceptional American record that includes a Matriarch Stakes success at Hollywood Park with Dress To Thrill a couple of years ago.
Grey Swallow has won five of his 12 starts, and last year also landed the Tattersalls Gold Cup. Though he hasn't run since he finished third in last winter's Canadian International, he is on the verge of breaking the $1.5 million mark in career earnings.
Ground conditions at Leopardstown are expected to be almost perfect for Sunday's meeting, which features the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial.
With warm weather expected to continue for much of today, the racecourse authorities are predicting good ground by this evening, and that should maintain itself for the weekend.
The Group Two feature looks like being an all-Irish affair with the sole cross-sea entry, the Mick Channon-trained Youmzain, now more likely to run at Chester tomorrow.
Aidan O'Brien's trio of Altius, Mountain and Dylan Thomas are the likely Ballydoyle starters in a race won by subsequent Epsom heroes Galileo (2001) and High Chaparral (2002).
That leaves the door open for the Beresford winner Septimus to take his chance in next week's Dante Stakes at York, where he could be joined by the gambled-on Oaks favourite Alexandorova, who is a possible for the Musidora Stakes.
"Septimus ran a good race in France and should improve for it. We thought York would suit him," said O'Brien.
Septimus ran seventh of nine on his first start of the season in the Prix la Force at Longchamp last month, but remains as short as 20 to 1 in ante-post betting for the Derby at Epsom.
This evening's action is at Clonmel, where the Dermot Weld-Pat Smullen team will be most people's fancy to get the night off to a good start with Strath Gallant in the 10-furlong maiden.
This Alhaarth colt ran a fine race on his debut to be a two-length runner-up to Mon Michel at Leopardstown, and with that experience under his belt he should be hard to beat.
Smullen is on Proud To Be Irish in the 10-furlong handicap, but a better option could be topweight Kleinova, who ran third to Cosmic String at the Curragh last time.
John Kiely's Coast ran fifth to Captain Cee Bee at Fairyhouse last month and may be up to scoring in the bumper.
