Jessica Harrington tries to break her Grade One duck in America on Saturday night when Paris Peacock lines up at Keeneland.
The Irish trainer has engaged French jockey Florent Geroux for the mount on her filly in the $600,000 Queen Elizabeth Cup over nine furlongs due off at 10.16 Irish-time.
Paris Peacock, winner of a Listed contest and a Group Three on her last two starts in Gowran, is the sole overseas challenger for the race which Aidan O’Brien won in 2011 with Together.
Harrington, already a Group One winner this year with Magical Lagoon in the Irish Oaks, has yet to win at the top-level in America.
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Paris Peacock is drawn on the outside of the seven runners and is a 10-1 shot on morning line betting which has McKulick as a hot favourite.
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Earlier Harrington will be focusing on the Group Three Killavullan Stakes at Leopardstown, a race that threw up the subsequent Guineas hero Poetic Flare in 2020.
She runs Bold Discovery who made an impressive winning debut at Naas last month and has since been bought by the Hong Kong owner Marc Chan.
Ballydoyle’s Cairo has the highest figure of those with ratings, although his stable companion Sierra Blanca might prove a danger too.
The son of Classic winner Alexandrova is still a maiden but was running on notably well when runner-up to his stable companion Espionage at the Curragh.
Bold Discovery fans will hope for a boost in an earlier maiden from Peking Opera, who chased him home at Naas.
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Joseph O’Brien has five of the 15 hopefuls lining up for Sunday’s big-money pot at Naas, the €120,000 Irish EBF Auction Series Final.
Montesilvano looked to find six furlongs a little short in the Ballyhane Stakes and subsequently ran third in a Group Three in France.
Back at seven furlongs for this contest, and boasting a 96 rating, he looks a realistic contender to scoop first prize.
The regally bred Toy, runner-up to Magical Lagoon in the Curragh Oaks, returns to action in Sunday’s Garnet Stakes where she clashes with the one-time Classic hope Mehnah.
There is National Hunt action at Cork on Sunday but the focus for jump fans on Saturday night will be on the Galway Plate winner Hewick.
Jordan Gainford’s mount is a heavy favourite to beat eight opponents in the $250,000 American Grand National Hurdle at Far Hills.
There is other international jumps action in Auteuil on Saturday where the Grand National winner Noble Yeats returns to action in a Grade Two chase due off at 2.50pm.
