Kieren Fallon travels to Milan tomorrow for the ride on Aidan O'Brien's Chinese Whisper in a Group One event and that allows Séamus Heffernan step in for what look to be some good opportunities at Naas.
Chinese Whisper, a wide margin Galway winner before being second to Zafonical Storm at Tipperary a fortnight ago, takes his chance in the Gran Criterium at San Siro over a mile. O'Brien won the race with Spartacus in 2002.
On the home front, O'Brien can add to his superb recent record in the Listed Retza & Soudavar Garnet Stakes with Be My Queen.
The Ballydoyle trainer has won the mile fillies event in three of the last four years and throws three runners at the race this time with Be My Queen looking the best of the trio.
The daughter of Sadlers Wells looked set for a lucrative campaign when a close fourth in a Guineas Trial in the spring, but so far her only success was a course and distance maiden win here on fast going.
There will be very different conditions tomorrow, but that shouldn't be a problem for Be My Queen whose biggest threat could come from the 107-rated topweight Sina Cova who was ahead of the selection in the Blandford Stakes last time.
Heffernan teams up with the Cheveley Park Stakes fifth Theann in the six-furlong fillies maiden and while she has been expensive to follow so far, this should be her winning day.
Ballydoyle fire a trio of Storm Cat colts at the opening maiden which two years saw the subsequent Guineas hero Footstepsinthesand justify a huge gamble on his debut. Colm O'Donoghue is on Portobello Road this time but the pick looks to be Del Castillo Diaz.
O'Brien won the historic Derrinstown Stud Birdcatcher Nursery with the topweights Dark Cheetah (2004) and Colossus (2003) and Great Sphinx fills that role this time.
However, that Tipperary winner could find it hard to cope with Yario who represents last year's winning team of Kevin Prendergast and Declan McDonogh.
Yario fulfilled expectations with a smooth win at Roscommon on his last start and the drop back to six furlongs should not be a problem.
Paul Carberry travels to Cork for some good rides and Cleni Boy should be the best of all in the novice hurdle.
Carberry is on Mordor in the maiden hurdle, but if the ex-French Kendor Dine can translate his smart flat form to the winter game, he will be a hard nut to crack.
