Racing News and preview: Michael Kinane looks set to take the Italian job this weekend as the Aidan O'Brien team go in search of Group One success on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Doncaster St Leger winner Brian Boru is already in Toronto ahead of Sunday's Canadian International where it is likely he will be reunited with his Leger partner Jamie Spencer.
Kinane was on board Ballingarry when that ex-Ballydoyle colt won the Woodbine Grade One in style last year but this time the champion jockey looks set to travel to Milan.
"It looks like we will run Black Sam Bellamy (Gran Premio del Jockey Club) and possibly Moscow Ballet (Gran Criterium) and Mick will probably go to Italy," O'Brien said yesterday.
Black Sam Bellamy won his first Group One race in the Jockey Club last season and O'Brien brought off the double in Italy's premier juvenile race with Spartacus.
Moscow Ballet was just three quarters of a length off the rated Snow Ridge in Ascot's Royal Lodge Stakes last month.
"It is not definitely decided yet but it is likely that Jamie (Spencer) will ride Brian Boru. He seems to be doing well out there and so far, everything is good with him," O'Brien said.
He added that the plan is to keep Brian Boru, a Group One winner at both two and three, in training as a four-year-old, along with another Sadler's Wells colt, Powerscourt.
The pair of them fought out a memorable finish to August's Great Voltigeur Stakes at York with Powerscourt just edging it.
Before that, Kinane and O'Brien will be in action at Newmarket on Saturday and the trainer indicated that he could have a runner in the Champion Stakes after all in the shape of Middlemarch. Alamshar remains the likely favourite for that on his final career start.
O'Brien has already nominated both Antonius Pius and Troubador as his most likely starters in the Dewhurst Stakes.
Dermot Weld will be another Irish trainer with a worldwide focus this weekend as In Time's Eye goes in Saturday's Caulfield Cup in Melbourne. His travelling companion One More Round is set to run in a Group Three there.
There is no such equine quality at Tramore this afternoon but the continuing battle between Pat Cosgrave and Catherine Gannon will provoke a lot of interest.
Just one winner separated the pair in the battle for the apprentice crown going into yesterday and it could be that today is more Cosgrave's day.
He is on Val Di Cecina in the first division of the handicap and that one's recent third to Avec Plaisir at Navan reads well.
Gannon is on the Fairyhouse seventh Habaniya in the mile and a half maiden while Cosgrave is on the 79-rated Weld runner Outside Investor. The latter could have the edge.
Gannon renews terms with the Thurles winner Lily Shing Shang in the last but slight preference is for Michael Hourigan's consistent runner Near Dunleer.
