Aidan O'Brien has confirmed that Galileo will run in Ascot's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes in 10 days time.
"The plan is to run," the Ballydoyle trainer said yesterday following the dual-Derby winner's morning workout. "It is possible we will run something else in the race to ensure a good pace but we will decide about that closer to the time." Galileo is a general 4 to 7 favourite to keep his unbeaten record in the King George and he is set to renew hostilities with Morshdi who was runner up at the Curragh but who is being readied for another crack at the Irish champion.
Morshdi's trainer, Michael Jarvis, said yesterday: "No final decision has been made, but he has certainly pleased me and he is in very good form. It's difficult to see how he can beat Galileo who is obviously something special. But Morshdi is progressing all the time and he's improved with each race he's run."
O'Brien and jockey Mick Kinane should be in the winner's enclosure again following this evening's Listed Eircell Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown where the $3.4 million filly Sophisticat can pick up some winning black type.
The daughter of Serena's Song already has placed pattern form following her unlucky second to Queen's Logic in the Queen Mary at Ascot and has four lengths in hand of the weekend winner Real Delight on previous Naas form.
"She ran a good race from a bad draw in the Queen Mary and has been well since. Obviously, the better the ground, the better she will be," O'Brien said.
The unsettled weather forecast makes the ground issue uncertain and the Queen Mary third has since been beaten at the Curragh but despite all that, it will be surprising if Sophisticat cannot win.
The Ballydoyle team should also score with the Irish Derby ninth Pebble Island but could be out of luck in the last where Cruiskeen Lawn's Gowran form behind Maumee looks good.
Down at Killarney, the feature is the Sunnybank Handicap Hurdle which could see Grimshaw pick up a fourth career success following an encouraging second to Berengarius at Naas. That was his first start in almost eight months, he is proven on soft ground and the Thomond O'Mara stable is in form.
The Cork runner-up Ebony Flyer can score for Pat Healy in the opening Beginners Chase and with the accent on stamina, Atlanticus looks an interesting contender for the 11-furlong handicap based on wining German form at Gelsenkircken and Cologne last season.
Central Billing's third to Homer gives the Andrew McNamara trained runner a shout in the bumper while Diaspora is the choice in the mile handicap.
