RACING: Aidan O'Brien and Jamie Spencer are on a trans-Atlantic Group One mission this weekend, beginning with Albert Hall's attempt on today's Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster.
Spencer teams up with the Beresford Stakes winner who will be joined in the eight-strong field by the other Ballydoyle hope Hills Of Aran with Colm O'Donoghue aboard.
O'Brien is searching for a fifth success in the last eight runnings of the mile race and also is hoping to continue an end-of-season hot-streak with his two year olds.
"Albert Hall was very green in his first race and was still raw in front the last day. But he answered the call when it was wanted. He is by Danehill so he would be much happier on drier ground," O'Brien said yesterday.
"Hills Of Aran won his maiden impressively at Galway and being by Sadler's Wells he should handle the going."
The 1999-winner, Aristotle, was not the Ballydoyle number one when he won the Racing Post but both Albert Hall and Hills Of Aran will have a task taking on the main home hope Motivator.
"Albert Hall did very well to win a Group Two on only his second start and I'm hoping he steps up to Group One company," said Spencer yesterday.
The champion jockey-elect will fly to Toronto afterwards to ride Brian Boru in the Canadian International at Woodbine, a race the former Leger winner finished third in last year.
There will be Irish interest before that in North America as Ansar will be a first jumping runner for Dermot Weld in tonight's Breeders' Cup Chase at Fair Hill in New Jersey.
The Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle winner will also be a first ride in America for jockey David Casey, who returns to action after recovering from a fractured wrist.
Today's home feature is the Gerrardstown House Silken Glider Stakes at the Curragh and with the accent on stamina this weekend maybe Waldblume can be in her element.
John Oxx also runs Allexina but preference is for Waldblume whose sole start to date yielded a narrow defeat of Set In Motion at Tipperary on very testing ground.
That was over nine furlongs and the runner-up went on to win well at the Listowel festival so Waldblume looks one to follow. The Navan third, Queen Titi, looks an interesting outsider.
Michael Kinane is also down to ride Varengo in the opening auction maiden and this one's debut fifth of 30 over seven furlongs here reads pretty well in this company.
The last race of the year at headquarters sees the apparent handicap good thing One More Round go in the mile conditions race.
Dermot Weld's horse has a rating that is hard to argue with but One More Round's best has usually come on a much different surface.
In contrast Fearn Royal should thrive on the soft and is due a victory after a series of Stakes placings.
Cupids Ray's winning form is over five furlongs but she hasn't tried six in over a year and her run behind Senor Benny last time bodes well for the premier handicap.
