British duo aim for Mercury glory

Monsieur Joe and Angels Will Fall travel across the Irish Sea to take their chance in what looks a particularly open-looking Mercury Stakes at Dundalk on Friday night.

Robert Cowell has booked Joseph O'Brien for Monsieur Joe and feels the six-year-old has as good a chance as any in the seven-strong field for the five-furlong Listed race.

Without a win since a Longchamp Group Three more than a year ago, he was fifth to Rocky Ground at Beverley last month.

Cowell said: "Basically he needs faster ground and there isn't anything else left for him in Britain so it's worth trying him on the all-weather again. He has also had to carry a penalty all year.

"He's training well and it's not a great race, they are all closely matched, and he should be in the mix.

"He is in the sales next week. Maybe he'll be sold, maybe he won't, we'll see what happens."

Charlie Hills snapped up Wayne Lordan for Angels Will Fall, who bounced back to form in the Portland at Doncaster and was seen in Ireland as recently as October 13, when second to last year's winner Balmont Mast in a Listed event at the Curragh.

Balmont Mast's trainer Eddie Lynam saddles Yulong Baoju, a course winner who could do with reversing a slump in form.

"She's had a busy season but we're taking our chance hoping to get a bit of black type with her," said Lynam.

"She's won twice there (Dundalk) over five and six furlongs.

"Just on her last couple of runs it would suggest she's coming to the end of her tether for the season but there are only seven runners so it's worth taking a chance."

Timeless Call, third 12 months ago, represents Rathangan trainer Reggie Roberts, who said: "She ran well in it last year and seems to be in good form.

"She's had terrible draws all year. She ran in the Rockingham and was drawn out wide. Then at Tipperary she was out wide and also back at the Curragh again.

"She runs well at Dundalk. She likes good ground but wasn't right early in the year. She seems back in good form now."

Fast In The Wind is only a two-year-old having just third second outing, and his first since late May.

"He did it well first time at the Curragh and then was fourth in a Listed race but came back with a bit of an injury," said trainer Paul Deegan.

"There aren't many options for him so we decided to take our chance up on the all-weather. We had planned to go to Doncaster but the ground went against him.

"He's in great order - in very good form. It's always tough for two-year-olds against the older horses, it's whether they are mentally strong enough.

"He's a good horse and hopefully he goes well."

David Marnane's established pair, Nocturnal Affair and Almadaa, complete the line-up.