Anne Marie Duff

DERMOT Weld sends Zhukova to Belmont Park this evening and has secured the services of Kentucky Derby winning jockey John Velazquez for his mare in the Grade 1 Man O’War Stakes. (ATR 10.13pm)

The Fastnet Rock mare, owned by Mrs Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez, won three of her four races last year and made an impressive reappearance when odds-on at Cork this season.

This looks an excellent opportunity to pick up a Grade 1 win with seven opponents lining up in the mile and three furlong contest.

The opposition includes two Grade 1 winners in Wake Forest and Twilight Eclipse but both look well exposed with the latter now an eight-year-old.

Wake Forest is a seven-year-old German-bred son of Sir Percy, trained by Chad Brown. He is favourite on the morning line and to be respected as he won this race last year with Velazquez in the saddle and he warmed up with a win in a Gulfstream Grade 2 last time.

Patterson Cross, Taghleeb and Sadler’s Joy have each beaten the other in graded races this season. Barclay Tagg’s Highway Star also has some decent turf form in the US.

The Grade 2 Ruffian Handicap has a field of just six fillies over the mile and looks between Godolphin’s Indulgent and Highland Sky, first and second in a Grade 3 at Aqueduct last month.

Earlier on the card is the Beaugay Stakes has a quality line up which features Graham Motion’s top race mare Miss Temple City.

The opposition includes the Irish-bred Hawksmoor, who campaigned in top company for Hugo Palmer last year winning the German 1000 Guineas and Grade 1 Diana Stakes winner Dacita.