Balding Waits On Dwyer

Andrew Balding is eagerly awaiting the arrival of big-race jockey Martin Dwyer in Chicago today as he puts the finishing touches to Phoenix Reach's bid for the Arlington Million.

The trainer received a call from Dwyer in the early hours of yesterday to inform him that his flight from Heathrow had been cancelled until further notice due to the terror alerts in Britain.

'Martin rang me to say that he was having problems with what was going on in Heathrow,' Balding said.

'But happily he is now booked on a flight from Heathrow. We thought about taking the Euro tunnel to go from Charles de Gaulle, but apparently it is absolute chaos at home. But he is definitely coming out, hopefully they will get the show back on the road again.

'His wife Clare was supposed to come with him but she is not coming now.'

Phoenix Reach worked on the turf at Arlington Park, and Balding added: 'I couldn't be happier with him. He looks in really good shape. He is a little bit fresh, which he usually is, but a little bit more so.

'He is in new surroundings and hasn't raced for a while, but as long as he behaves, he'll run a really good race. He is the same weight he was when he ran in Dubai. He has done a lot of work, he's had two racecourse gallops and we couldn't have put more work into him.

'He will not be beaten on fitness. I'm happy with the draw and as long as my jockey gets here, I'm fine.'

The Illinois Racing Board and the stewards at Arlington Park turned down Kieren Fallon's application for a licence to ride two Aidan O'Brien-trained runners.

No other jockeys have been pencilled in so far on Arlington hope Ace and Ivan Denisovich, who takes his chance in the Secretariat Stakes on the supporting card.

? PA Sport