His principal hope Henrythenavigator is the ante-post favourite for next year's English 2,000 Guineas and the Kingmambo colt will be ridden in public for the first time by Kieren Fallon. Ballydoyle's stable jockey was still serving his drug ban, when Henrythenavigator made a winning debut in the hands of Seamus Heffernan at Gowran Park.

The colt showed significant improvement to win the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. Although he may be suited to seven furlongs, Henrythenavigator is expected to have the class to prevail.

The biggest danger to the selection may be the Ger Lyons-trained Queen Mary Stakes heroine Elletelle, who was unlucky in running when third in the Cherry Hinton Stakes at Newmarket. Jeremy Noseda-trained Captain Rio is the sole English challenger, but with only a Ripon maiden success to his credit, is unlikely to trouble Henrythenavigator and Elletelle Fallon and O'Brien are represented by Eagle Mountain in the United Arab Emirates Royal Whip Stakes. There is just one English challenger for the Group 2 contest in Championship Point, from the Mick Channon stable. He has bounced back to form winning two highly competitive handicaps, but in receipt of 6lb Eagle Mountain should have the edge.

Jockeys Michael Kinane, Johnny Murtagh and Pat Smullen, were all in action at last night's meeting in Chicago and will be hoping to make the journey back to the Curragh without incident. Kinane rode the John Oxx-trained Danak in the Grade 1 Arlington Million and was aboard the Aidan O'Brien-trained Admiralofthefleet in the Secretariat Stakes.

Murtagh, who was booked to ride Doctor Dino in the Arlington Million and Irridescence in the Beverley D.

Stakes, has a good chance of making a successful return for his boss Michael Halford through Lucies Pride in the Grangecon Stud EBF Maiden.