YORK DATE FOR AID’S WARRIOR

IRISH RACING NEWS SAXON Warrior, winless in three outings since landing the Qipco 2,000 Guineas back in May, will lead Aidan O’brien’s challenge on the opening day of the Ebor meeting in York tomorrow.

The Ballydoyle colt (above) will renew Eclipse rivalry with Roaring Lion in the Group 1 Juddmonte International, for which eight, including King George victor Poet’s Word, remain on course following yesterday’s overnight declaration stage.

The field will also include Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Latrobe, trained by Joseph O’brien and set to be ridden by Wayne Lordan due to Donnacha O’brien’s on-going five-day suspension.

Although the Ballydoyle team remains under something of a ‘cloud’, Aidan O’brien will have six runners tomorrow, including four in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur.

This quartet will be spear-headed by Kew Gardens (Ryan Moore) successful in the Queen’s Vase at Royal Ascot before making his Group 2 breakthrough in the Grand Prix de Paris last time.

He’ll be joined in the Voltigeur line-up by stable-companions Nelson (Mick Hussey), The Pentagon (Wayne Lordan) and Zabriskie (Fran Berry).

And completing Ballydoyle’s Wednesday team will be Broome, winner of a Galway maiden on his second start, in the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb 2-Y-0 Stakes.

dropper Invincible Karma, unplaced in the Raiwlay Stakes (Group 2) last time, proved an impressive, all-the-way winner of the opening two-year-old maiden in Roscommon last night.

Ridden by owner Zhang Yuesheng’s retained jockey Shane Foley, the Invincible Spirit colt bolted-up by four and a half lengths, to the delight of his in-form trainer Jessica Harrington.

She said: “He did that easily – Shane said there was plenty in the tank – and it’s great to get the maiden out of the way. We’ll have a look at a listed race for him now.”

Pleasure Dome, raised 10lb. for his defeat of Lord Erskine at Ballinrobe last time, is a hopeful nap choice in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF handicap Hurdle in Sligo tonight.

The Willie Mullins-trained Makfi mare appreciated the test of stamina in Ballinrobe and is sure to be ridden prominently by Ruby Walsh in this event over almost three miles.

Mullins and Walsh might also be on the mark with French import Eglantine Du Seuil, in the opening Hop House 13 Lager Mares Maiden Hurdle.

Pass The Ball will be fancied to complete a four-timer in the Rockshore Lager Handicap Hurdle.