Pine Dance eyes another US prize

The remarkable Pine Dance will make his fourth transatlantic trip of the year to the Meadowlands racetrack in order to earn a…

The remarkable Pine Dance will make his fourth transatlantic trip of the year to the Meadowlands racetrack in order to earn a ticket alongside Giant's Causeway for the Breeders Cup Classic.

Dermot Weld is lining up the Grade Two Pegasus Stakes at the east coast track in three weeks for Pine Dance who has already won twice in America this season.

"If he wins there he will probably go for the Breeders Cup afterwards," Weld confirmed yesterday. "The Pegasus is over nine furlongs and is worth $250,000. Michael McCarthy will ride the horse again."

The American jockey was on Pine Dance in his last race when the Irish three-year-old was a three-length winner of the Grade Three Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park at the start of September.

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Pine Dance won the Grade Two American Derby at Arlington, Chicago, in July, but in between that and Philadelphia the horse was last of the eight behind Ciro in the Secretariat Stakes.

Weld also confirmed yesterday that Grand Finale, the only horse to have beaten the Derby and Arc winner Sinndar, will continue his career in the US with the the French trainer Christophe Clement.

Grand Finale beat Sinndar in the Listed Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown last April, winning out by a head while in receipt of 7lb from the subsequent top three-year-old of the year.

Meanwhile, Pat Smullen is on the verge of his first Flat jockeys' championship after partnering a 96 1/2 to 1 treble aboard Mist Of Magic, Beebeep and Hip Pocket at Thurles yesterday.

The former dual champion apprentice sent well-backed Evens favourite Mist Of Magic to the front early in the straight of the Horse And Jockey Maiden, and the Dermot Weld-trained filly kept on well to beat Leopardi by a length and a half.

Tom Queally picked up a three-day suspension (October 14th, 15th & 18th) for careless riding in the same race.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column