RACING: The Dermot Weld-trained Merger will add to the Irish challenge at Saturday night's Arlington Million meeting in Chicago by taking his chance in the Grade One Secretariat Stakes
Darryll Holland will take the ride on the colt who could finish only sixth at the track on his last start in the American Derby. Merger will join the Aidan O'Brien-trained Grand Central in the race. O'Brien also runs Powerscourt in the Million itself and the filly Mona Lisa in the Beverly D Stakes.
"I don't know what happened Merger the last day. He just disappointed us," said Weld's son Kris yesterday. "But he seems to be in very good form now and has settled in well over there."
The Weld team will also be busy at Leopardstown on Sunday where Vinnie Roe will warm up for an attempt at a remarkable fifth Irish St Leger success in the Ballyroan Stakes.
However, the Dublin track also figures on the radar for his stable companion Grey Swallow. Any lingering hopes that the 2004 Irish Derby winner would appear in next week's Juddmonte International at York have been ruled out in favour of a return to Leopardstown for the Irish Champion Stakes.
Grey Swallow was fourth to Azamour in the 10-furlong feature last year and is being pencilled in for another match up with that colt. The pair also met in last month's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes but Grey Swallow's chances weren't helped when he banged a leg leaving the starting stalls.
"He was actually the second last to go in but he still managed to give himself a nasty gash. He is 100 per cent now though and it's highly likely he will go for the Irish Champion Stakes," said Kris Weld yesterday.
With the Mark Prescott-trained Foreign Affairs looking an unlikely Ballyroan runner, Vinnie Roe's main challenge this time looks like coming from the John Oxx-trained three-year-old Shalapour.
The Irish Derby third is currently a general 5 to 1 second favourite for the Doncaster St Leger behind the Aidan O'Brien-trained Grand Prix de Paris winner Scorpion. Other Ballyroan entries include the Moyglare winner, Chelsea Rose and the Epsom Oaks third, Pictavia.
Punters can get the Tramore August festival off to a flyer this evening with Tingshaw Ring in the two mile handicap hurdle.
Garrett Cotter's mount won easily at Ballinrobe on Monday night and a 6lb penalty doesn't look enough to stop him in this form.
Meanwhile, Jamie Spencer is not getting carried away by the hype surrounding the race for the jockeys' crown in England.
William Hill yesterday cut him to 4 to 7 to finish the season as the top pilot and he started yesterday with 97 winners - one behind Robert Winston, whose bid for glory was effectively ended after he suffered a broken jaw following a fall at Ayr last Saturday.
Assessing the title situation, Spencer said: "It's a long way away. If I'm in with a chance in the last three weeks, I'll give it a go, hell for leather."
