RACING: As hectic weekends go, Pat Smullen's will take some beating with a schedule that begins in Chicago tonight and ends in Dublin tomorrow afternoon.
The champion jockey jets across the Atlantic to ride Jazz Beat in the Grade One Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park and will be hoping the Dermot Weld-trained colt goes one better than his last visit to the Windy City.
Jazz Beat finished runner-up in the American Derby last month but has just six opponents in tonight's $400,000 event for three year olds on the grass.
It's no surprise Smullen is rushing back as Dress To Thrill makes just her second start of the season in the Group Three Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown.
Her first, over the same course and distance, proved the Moyglare runner-up had trained on and the potential top-flight filly looks up to coping with the challenges from the luckless Wrong Key and the veteran One Won One.
Second Empire in 1998 was the last home-trained winner of the Desmond but Smullen will also be looking to the dual-Leger hero Vinnie Roe in the Listed Ballyroan Stakes to help get his championship challenge back on track.
The champion is on the 36 winner mark, 12 behind Michael Kinane and two behind Kevin Manning who has passed Smullen into second place.
It's a much more clear cut picture than the trainers table where Aidan O'Brien, John Oxx and Weld have all trained 37 winners this season.
Vinnie Roe is having a first start since failing gallantly to Royal Rebel in the Ascot Gold Cup and his Melbourne Cup preparation starts here.
He faces a terribly difficult task at the weights, however, and on the forecast "good" going, it could be worth siding with the smart three-year-old Solid Approach.
The Kevin Prendergast runner has a full half mile further to travel than when winning at the Curragh last time but does have a defeat of Margarula to his credit over a mile and a quarter.
Solid Approach's relaxed attitude will allow Declan McDonogh to ride a waiting race.
The ground should also see Smullen and Weld on the score-sheet in the seven-furlong handicap as the Miswaki filly Perfect Touch should thrive in the better conditions.
Totally unsuited by the ground at Galway, Perfect Touch earned an 80 rating for subsequently scoring at Roscommon. The better surface can make that look generous.
All eyes will be on Powerscourt in the opener. The Ballydoyle runner was run out of it on his Naas debut when unsuited by a funeral early pace and should thrive on the step up to a mile. However, it is the coughing at the O'Brien stable that is the real question-mark. If Powerscourt is ailing, then Akash looks the one most likely to exploit it.
