RACING: Rock of Gibralter remains on course for a possible sixth Group One success in a row in Wednesday's Sussex Stakes at Goodwood.
The dual-Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes winner is likely to head a small but select team from Ballydoyle at the Goodwood festival.
The other Group One contender at the festival will be the Coronation winner Sophisticat who will try a mile and a quarter for the first time in tomorrow week's Nassau Stakes.
"The aim for Rock Of Gibraltar all along has been the Sussex but we will wait until the end of the week to see how he is before finally deciding," Aidan O'Brien said yesterday.
"We will run Sophisticat in the Nassau. You can never be sure they will stay until they try but she is in good form. We probably won't have too many two-year-old runners, maybe one in the Champagne but we haven't decided yet," he added.
O'Brien also confirmed yesterday that the $6.4 million Van Nistelrooy is a "probable" for tomorrow's Tyros Stakes at the Curragh but the Anglesey winner Ontario will miss out on the Prix Robert Papin in France on Sunday.
Other news yesterday included Horse Racing Ireland's decision to grant Roscommon an extra date on Tuesday, September 3rd. The track's fixture list has been ravaged this year due to the poor weather.
Florida Pearl's owners, Archie and Violet O'Leary, picked up an award in Britain yesterday after Florida Pearl was voted the horse to have contributed most to the public's enjoyment over the last National Hunt season.
John Oxx unveils the newcomer Ridakiya in the mile and a half maiden at Cork tonight and the Aga Khan filly will not have to be extra-special to make a winning debut.
Detach has a 5lb penalty for beating Stay Cool and Richie Rich at Leopardstown last Saturday but that may not stop him following up in the seven furlong handicap.
The Leopardstown runner-up Viva La Diva can go one better in the opener
