It's fair to say that Kieren Fallon rarely does dull and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe-winning jockey again faces a frenetic weekend, starting with Ad Valorem's Grade One target in the US tonight.
Fallon travels to Keeneland for the Shadwell Turf Mile where Aidan O'Brien will be trying for a second win in the $600,000 Kentucky feature with last year's Middle Park Stakes winner.
The Ballydoyle team won the race in 2002 courtesy of the ill-fated Landseer and Ad Valorem, the sole three-year-old in the contest, will face a cosmopolitan field that includes another former Middle Park winner in Three Valleys. He is now trained in America by Bobby Frankel, who also fields the star Australian filly Alinghi who has won her sole start in the States to date.
Ad Valorem, in contrast, hasn't won in three starts this season but an upbeat O'Brien said yesterday: "He travelled well and seems to be in good form. We're hoping for a good run."
Ireland's interest at Keeneland won't end tonight as David Wachman intends to send his Grade One-winning filly Luas Line back to America for next weekend's Queen Elizabeth II Cup.
"The intention is for Luas Line to run in that race and I would imagine that Johnny Velazquez, who rode her to win at Belmont, would ride again," said Wachman yesterday.
However, Fallon, who just two days after his Arc exploits was bailed again in Britain as part of continuing police inquires into possible race-fixing, will make a quick dash back to Ireland to ride at the Curragh tomorrow.
Chief among his rides for O'Brien will be Septimus, who will try to provide his trainer with a remarkable seventh success in the Group Two Juddmonte Beresford Stakes.
The Ballydoyle team renewed their dominance of the race last year with Albert Hall after back-to-back wins for the John Oxx pair Alamshar and Azamour and Septimus looks a worthy candidate this time.
A debut win at Leopardstown, when well backed despite being the apparent stable second string, provided echoes of the subsequent Guineas hero Footstepsinthesand and the form of the race has been boosted since.
Fallon is on Kamarinskaya in the Listed Flame Of Tara Stakes but it's another maiden who looks the one to be on here.
Alexander Alliance has had just the one start but she was fancied to win and it took the highly regarded Art Museum to beat her a length here last month. Tommy Stack has a high opinion of her, as shown by her skipping a maiden for this tougher task, and that judgment can be vindicated.
Beef Or Salmon has just the fourth flat start of his career, and a first since winning here in April of 2003 under Michael Kinane, in the Hackett's Irish Cesarewitch. Despite being 6lb out of the handicap proper Beef Or Salmon still looks a significant player, although if the ground doesn't get too testing Rooftop Protest will be a danger to them all.
Allexina's form over a mile and a half at Deauville last month was boosted by Oiseau Rare over the Arc weekend and now that she reverts to that trip in the Finale Stakes she should be followed.
Limerick's National Hunt feature will be the €100,000 Anglo Irish Bank Munster National where the winner of the Kerry version, Euro Leader, again has to carry top weight against a competitive field. It's a big ask for Ruby Walsh's mount but the easy track will suit, although a value alternative could be the Listowel third Pearly Jack.
Paul Nolan has chosen the conditions chase for Accordion Etoile's debut over fences and although he gets over a stone from Watson Lake, both the track and the ground should be ideal for the more experienced horse. Kerryhead Windfarm is highly regarded by Michael Hourigan and can start justifying that regard over fences.
