After the World Cup Horse racing continues to provide a spectacle

(The Italian Job: Frankie Dettori is an ambassador of the sport)

Horse Racing stands proud in the wake of World Cup

Having not updated for a while now it seems fitting to apologise for the somewhat lack of effort in maintaining The Racegoer blog. But excuses could be made following a notable lack of resources on which one can be creative as well as the lack of opportunity in the midst of headlines dominated by the lacklustre performance of 23 Englishmen and their Italian commander.

One Italian should be commended however for the effort he maintains in his and our beloved sport, a sport which will still be building up to the next event and really never fails to be another boring World Cup Saga is one Lanfranco Dettori. At the Curragh tomorrow Frankie climbs aboard Hibaayeb sporting the colours of Godolphin in the Darley Irish Oaks to dispute favouritism with Champion Jockey Ryan Moore aboard Snow Fairy for the home fans and French raider Rosanara ridden by Gerald Mosse. Judging by the performance of the French in the World Cup Rosanara should be left behind leaving Hibaayeb and Snow Fairy to battle it out for the 246,500 Euros. The class of Snow Fairy looks certain to show through having had outings in Listed races and after its success by a neck in the Investec Oaks at Epsom earlier last month under the same jockey it looks the one to beat with Frankie's mount looking to re-enact it's form in the Ribblesdale stakes. The addition of weight to Hibaayeb following that race will tell over the 1 mile 4 furlong event tomorrow but Hibaayeb's confident 3 and a quarter length success suggests an interesting tussle. Otherwise Sir Michael Stoute's runner Eldalil will be hoping to reverse places with Hibaayeb and go one better under Richard Hills.

Back to today Paul Hanagan teams up with trainer Richard Fahey again at Haydock Park in the 8:10 bidding to add to his already impressive haul of 98 winners so far this season. Hanagan's best chance looks to be with Harrison George in the 8:10 and a possible double to take him to the magical hundred could lie with Mighty Clarets an hour later in the 9:10 again for Richard Fahey with the pairing looking good for this years title.