Sport

Weld's pair set for Ascot

RACING NEWS: DERMOT WELD’S winning two-year-olds Moonlit Garden and Oor Jock are both heading for Royal Ascot.

Wed Jun 09 2010 - 01:00

RACING NEWS:DERMOT WELD'S winning two-year-olds Moonlit Garden and Oor Jock are both heading for Royal Ascot.

The filly Moonlit Garden impressed with a three-length victory on her debut at the Curragh, while colt Oor Jock scored comfortably on his second career start at Naas on Monday.

“Of the two-year-olds, Oor Jock is likely to run in the Windsor Castle Stakes, and for Moonlit Garden we are looking at the Queen Mary,” said Weld.

The legendary Curragh trainer could have runners in many of the other prestigious races, including Etihad Airways Irish 1000 Guineas winner Bethrah, a possibility for the Coronation Stakes.

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He has Famous Name entered in the Queen Anne and Rite Of Passage in the Gold Cup but said final decisions on the team will be made at the end of this week.

Also in action at Naas was Emulous, who missed the opportunity of a Classic preparation and was second to Jim Bolger’s Kitty Kiernan on her first start since October in the Bill and Avril Whitehead Memorial Race.

“I thought that was a very good run,” reflected Weld.

“She had been off for a long time and was second to a very good horse.”

Meanwhile, Richard Hannon has raised the possibility of Dick Turpin missing a third clash with stablemate Canford Cliffs in the St James’s Palace Stakes at Ascot.

Dick Turpin has finished in front of the more fashionable Canford Cliffs on two occasions this season, causing something of an upset in the Greenham at Newbury, and again when the pair were second and third to Makfi in the 2000 Guineas.

While Canford Cliffs then triumphed in the Irish Guineas, Dick Turpin finished second in the French version, half a length behind subsequent French Derby winner Lope De Vega.

Hannon said: “Canford Cliffs definitely runs, but Dick Turpin might switch to the Jersey.

“I will leave him in both the St James’s Palace and the Jersey Stakes and make a decision nearer the time.

“It is up in the air really but if it turns up on the easy side I will probably run both in the St James’s.

“Canford has learned to settle now and is a very good horse in my book.”