RACING: Grey Swallow is on course to be Dermot Weld's first ever runner in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes after pleasing the trainer in a Curragh work-out.
Last year's Irish Derby hero galloped after racing at Sunday's Oaks fixture under his big race rider Pat Smullen and did enough to be one of the 16 horses left in at yesterday's declaration stage.
They also included Grey Swallow's old rival Azamour from the John Oxx yard, who is a general 2 to 1 favourite, as well as the Aidan O'Brien trained pair, Ace and Yeats.
The Oaks winner Eswarah and last year's Arc de Triomphe hero Bago also figure, but Azamour and Grey Swallow dominate the betting as they bid to become the latest Irish-trained winner of the midsummer highlight which is being run at Newbury this year.
Aidan O'Brien won with Galileo in 2001 and John Oxx scored with Alamshar two years ago, but Grey Swallow will be Weld's first attempt at King George glory.
"He did a serious workout over a mile after racing and I was satisfied with the way he went," said Weld yesterday. "I will keep an eye on the ground. It is a worry. I would be happy with good to firm but very firm would make it a serious concern."
In contrast very fast ground would not be a problem for the Azamour team and the ante-post favourite will be trying the mile and a half distance for the first time on Saturday. "He is fit and well and ready to go. He will just go through a normal routine this week. We thought we would try and a mile and a half once and the King George is the race for it. We will find out on Saturday when he should have the fast ground he likes. We hope he will stay, but racing is littered with trainers and jockeys who believe a horse will stay and are proved wrong," said John Oxx yesterday.
"There will be some tough opposition. Grey Swallow looked good in the Tattersalls Gold Cup and is an Irish Derby winner so is sure to stay.
"If Bago returns to his Arc form he will take some beating, as will Yeats if he reproduces his Coronation Cup run. Ace was not far behind us at York and the filly (Eswarah) is an interesting runner. It's boiling up into a very hot race," he added.
Last year's winner Doyen has been left in by the Godolphin outfit despite being out of form this season while another French-trained contender will be Policy Maker who was supplemented into the race yesterday.
The Ellie Lellouche-trained horse was runner-up in the Grand Prix de St Cloud on his previous start and is on course to join his compatriot Bago. Montjeu in 2000 was the last French winner of the King George.
There was a reverse for the Oxx team yesterday, however, as Hazariya, the filly pulled up in Sunday's Oaks, had to be retired from racing and will now be sent to the Aga Khan's stud operation. Hazariya picked up a hairline fracture of a cannon bone in the race, an injury not related to the stone bruise she suffered before the Oaks.
"She is fine and will make a full recovery, but her racing career is over," Oxx reported.
Michael Halford and his apprentice Rory Cleary can make an immediate impact on tonight's meeting at Ballinrobe.
Lightwood Lady will be a major player in the opening maiden and the form of her run behind Moonlight Dance at Tipperary nine days ago now reads even better since that filly's Group Three win at the weekend.
Another winner on Saturday was Halford's Who'd Of Guest who powered four lengths clear of Red Happy and now carries a 5lb penalty. The four-year-old drops a furlong from winning at the Curragh and Sligo, but the hat-trick looks on.
Golden Beacon came up three lengths short against Peruvian Athlete at Tipperary, but tonight's handicap chase looks a good chance to go one better.
Barry Geraghty rides the 95-rated Southern Style in the maiden hurdle and a reproduction of a decent run behind Timing at Punchestown last month would see this one go close.
Paddy Power's King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes betting: 2 Azamour, 7-2 Grey Swallow, 6 Eswarah and Bago, 9 Gamut, 10 Phoenix Reach, 12 Ace, 14 Yeats, 16 bar.
