Racing: The Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Nightime will make her long-awaited return to action in next month's Blandford Stakes at the Curragh. Dermot Weld's filly hasn't been seen since finishing last of the 15 runners behind Nannina in the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.
That was Nightime's first defeat of the season after following up a Cork success in April with an impressive wide-margin victory in the Guineas on heavy ground in late May.
"She is fine, in very good form, and I'm looking at the Blandford Stakes for her next race," Weld said yesterday.
The Group Two event, run over the Leger weekend, was won by Red Bloom last year and it will be the first attempt at a trip over a mile for Nightime who will also be facing older fillies for the first time in her career.
The Galileo filly provided one of the sentimental victories of 2006 in the Guineas when scoring in the colours of Weld's mother, Marguerite. who also bred her.
Aidan O'Brien has three entries remaining in next Wednesday's totesport Ebor which will be the handicap feature at the York festival.
The Ballydoyle trainer, who landed the Ebor five years ago with Mediterranean, has left in Hitchcock among the 37 horses remaining in the mile and six furlong event. Hitchcock is joined by Tusculum and Road To Mandalay.
However, O'Brien's main focus next Wednesday will be on the double-Oaks winner Alexandrova who looks like being a very short-priced favourite for the Yorkshire Oaks.
Alexandrova is one of 13 entries still in the race and although she will be teaming up with a new jockey due to Kieren Fallon's unavailability to ride in Britain, she looks to dominate an entry that also includes the Peter Casey-trained Sina Cova who won a Listed event at Cork on her last start.
Fallon goes to Roscommon for five rides this afternoon and will begin on the David Wachman-trained newcomer Downtown in the seven-furlong juvenile fillies maiden.
Downtown is bred to be extra special being by Danehill out of the double Oaks and St Leger heroine User Friendly but experience could be a vital factor and there was plenty to like about the way that Delphia improved from her debut to be second to Ferneley at Galway during the festival.
Mojito Royale was third in that same race at Ballybrit when a 33 to 1 shot but there will be no such odds available in today's auction maiden.
The David Myserscough-trained Maria Luisa has only attempted a mile and a half once before and her two career victories have come at a mile.
Nevertheless, she made the gambled on Little Eye pull out all the stops at the Curragh over 10 furlongs last weekend and over this easy track Maria Luisa can come out on top in the fillies handicap.
Tramore's most valuable contest is the two-mile handicap hurdle where the easy Tipperary winner, Querido, can continue jockey Paddy Flood's recent hot streak.
The course winner Rosamio has her second start over fences in the Beginners Chase and the dour stayer, who was in contention until exiting at Plumpton last January, looks capable of notching another summer win.
