RACING: Aidan O'Brien confirmed yesterday that the filly, Quarter Moon, a Moyglare winner at two but placed in four top-flight races this season, is his only three-year-old contender at next week's York meeting.
"She has been kept going and hasn't coughed. If we have an older runner at York, it will be her," said O'Brien, who added that Rock Of Gibraltar is the only three-year-old colt in Ballydoyle who hasn't been caught up in the sickness bug sweeping the yard.
"We've decided to give him a break and not stress him out, but he hasn't coughed," he said.
Dermot Weld's Ribblesdale winner, Irresistible Jewel, is another Irish contender for the Yorkshire Oaks, but the Curragh trainer confirmed yesterday he will be going international before that.
"Jazz Beat will run in the Grade One Secretariat Stakes at Arlington on Saturday. Pat Smullen will ride," Weld said.
Weld is well represented at Cork this evening but his best chance of a winner could come in the bumper with King Of The Arctic.
Third on his debut at Galway, King Of The Arctic looks up to giving his trainer a third winner of the current National Hunt season.
Christy Roche tops those early standings with seven winners and Yayo, top rated in the conditions hurdle, can add to that.
Locally-born Wayne Lordan could reach double figures for the flat season if Neeze improves a little for a neck second to Warrimoo at Tipperary and Royal Ovation goes in in the sprint handicap.
Leeside has half a length to make up on Neckar Valley on Fairyhouse form from last Wednesday but that winner's 5lb penalty can swing things his way.
