NEWS:A VINTAGE Group One weekend for Irish horses ended perfectly for David Wachman and Johnny Murtagh yesterday as Bushranger picked up the Darley Prix Morny in comprehensive style at Deauville.
Bushranger provided a huge boost to the form of the 2,000 Guineas favourite Mastercraftsman who beat him easily in the Phoenix Stakes and that Aidan O'Brien-trained horse has been cut in Classic betting to 5 to 1 clear market leader for next year's Newmarket Classic.
The Wachman runner earned Guineas quotes of 25 to 1 himself however on the strength of yesterday's display as Murtagh powered him clear of the British-trained pair Gallagher and Lord Shanakill.
It completed another hugely successful top-flight weekend for the Irish jockey who had secured Juddmonte International glory on board Duke Of Marmalade at Newmarket on Saturday.
Bushranger brought Murtagh's Group One tally for the season so far to a staggering 17 while yesterday's success provided Wachman with a third Group One victory of his career.
The Co Tipperary-based trainer landed the 2004 Phoenix Stakes with Damson and the following year scored with Luas Line in the Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap at Belmont Park.
Murtagh and Wachman could combine again in this weekend's Group One highlight where the Debutante Stakes winner Again is an entry in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.
Other star names who may line up for Ireland's premier race for juvenile fillies are Shimah and Jim Bolger's Cuis Chaire.
Bolger was out of luck on Saturday where New Approach didn't help his cause in the Juddmonte by pulling hard in the early stages of the race. In the circumstances the Derby winner did well to finish third to Duke Of Marmalade and Bolger has committed the colt to a rematch in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown in 12 days time.
Bookmaker reaction yesterday was to make Duke Of Marmalade odds on 4 to 5 favourite to make it six from six this season with New Approach a 100 to 30 shot.
Any lingering hopes the Tralee authorities had of finishing their August festival this week ended yesterday with an early morning inspection confirming that the track was waterlogged. However, the racecourse that is the subject of a €48 million purchase deal by developers, and which was supposed to finally close on Saturday, may not be finished in a racing capacity yet.
Horse Racing Ireland have been approached about new dates for later this season and the Tralee chairman, Paddy Barry, said: "We don't want to go out with a whimper and we will probably look for two or three days late in September or early in October and give it one more shot."
As a result Downpatrick has the scene to itself today and the combination of Michael Halford and Rory Cleary could be the one to follow. Dirar's 92 rating is hard to argue with in the mile-and-a-half conditions race while Dow Jones can confirm his versatility in the featured Ulster Cesarewitch.
Dow Jones is having his fifth start since returning from a near two-year absence this summer and the last of them brought a runner -up placing to Piano Star in the Midlands National at Kilbeggan.
Today's race will be a stamina test in its own right but one that Dow Jones, a flat winner off a 60 rating in the past, can successfully cope with.
