RACING: Aidan O'Brien and Kieren Fallon will transfer their overseas interests to Scotland today as Powerscourt lines up for the Group 2 Scottish Derby at Ayr.
Just four horses line up for the track's most prestigious flat prize but they include the Wolferton Stakes winner Imperial Stride who represents Michael Stoute as well as last year's Chester Vase hero, Red Lancer.
Powerscourt, however, holds a clear chance on ratings and will travel from an O'Brien stable in flying form following Scorpion's Grand Prix de Paris success last Thursday.
"We will train Scorpion for the autumn," said O'Brien yesterday. "Obviously, the St Leger is there and it would be a nice race for him."
O'Brien also indicated that both Yeats and Ace could represent him in next Saturday's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes in what looks a very important race for Irish trainers.
John Oxx's Azamour remains an odds on favourite for the midsummer highlight which has been transferred to Newbury and his market rival is Grey Swallow from Dermot Weld's yard.
There are no such Group 1 considerations at Ballinrobe this evening but Weld can still hit the scoresheet courtesy of Amid The Chaos in the Beginners Chase.
A couple of starts over fences in May yielded form figures of "UR" and "PU" but they are best ignored in the context of the horse's fine form since.
Newlands North's hurdles runs to date have mostly been on soft ground but Michael O'Brien's horse showed in the Ulster Derby what he can do on fast ground. The point can be proved in the maiden hurdle.
Red Square Lady's run behind Accordion Etoile in a Tipperary Grade 3 makes her impossible to oppose in the conditions hurdle.
