Aidan O'Brien has handed John Murtagh an outside chance to land a staggering 11th Group One prize of the season on Leopard Spot in tomorrow's Criterium de St Cloud.
O'Brien has also declared Sligo Bay who will be ridden by Michael Kinane in the ten furlong contest which is the last top flight contest of the season in France.
Sligo Bay has the more obvious chance of winning the eight strong race after finishing second to the Breeders' Cup hope Turnberry Isle in the Beresford Stakes on his last start and running third in a Longchamp Group Three before that.
Leopard Spot in contrast is a maiden but Murtagh's hot streak shows no signs of abating on the run up to his Breeders' Cup rides on Petrushka and Kalanasi at Churchill Downs next Saturday. Frankie Dettori will partner the Mick Channon trained Samara Middle East in tomorrow's French prize and the home team is headed by the unbeaten pair, Sagacity and Criquetot.
Murtagh however has received one surprise reverse with the news that he will not be riding Enzeli in the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday week.
The 1999 Ascot Gold Cup winner will be a first Cup runner for trainer John Oxx but Enzeli, the second topweight, will now be ridden by the top Australian jockey Greg Hall who is retained by Enzeli's new owners.
The jockey to follow at home tomorrow looks set to be the current champion jumps jockey Barry Geraghty who looks to have excellent prospects of a treble at Wexford.
Geraghty won last season's title with 84 winners and has already notched up 27 this term. However he will need to keep tabs on the currently injured leader Ruby Walsh (40) and trio of winners involving Be My Royal, Reggae Rhytym and River Clodagh should help the rider do just that.
Geraghty is on the top handicapper Micko's Dream who is on a possible Hennessy Gold Cup trail route in the featured Bewley's Hotel Chase.
Wexford's flat track is hardly ideal for Micko's Dream however the hint that Mouse Morris has given by running Foxchapel King here instead of at Wetherby today should be taken up.
Galway's feature is the Bank Of Ireland Novice Chase where Bushman's River should be up to beating Sunset Lodge and Quintus while the Radisson Handicap Hurdle, looks a good option for the easy Listowel winner Dustin.
Another noticeable bet at the Ballybrit track looks to be Ridyan in the six furlong handicap. This one looked to be in front for plenty long enough when run out of it by Conti at the Curragh last time out and can reward punters giving another chance here.
