Dirar takes step up in Doncaster Cup Ebor hero Dirar steps up to pattern company in the Group Two Doncaster Cup on Friday. Gordon Elliott's charge is accompanied by one other Irish-trained runner, Noel Meade's Pointilliste. Askar Tau and Darley Sun, first and second 12 months ago, are among 10 horses declared for the race on Town Moor. The former, trained by Marcus Tregoning, has been out of form since then and wears blinkers for the first time as connections hope to rekindle his interest. Darley Sun has not been successful since winning the Cesarewitch last autumn for David Simcock, after which he joined the Godolphin team. Opinion Poll, trained by Michael Jarvis, goes to the race in top form having won the Lonsdale Cup at York last month and renews rivalries on Friday with runner-up Samuel and the fourth home Electrolyser. "Electrolyser has done very well this year without hitting the bullseye. He's been upped class all the way and has proved a worthy Group Two performer," trainer Clive Cox told At The Races. "It's another two furlongs. Opinion Poll has got a penalty. I'm happy he's going there in good form and he's still progressing and is comparatively lightly raced. "He seems to be better with few runners in better races rather than big fields in handicaps. "In the early days we thought we had him well handicapped - in the November Handicap at Doncaster and also the Cesarewitch - but it didn't go according to plan in both races." The only three-year-old in the line-up is Motrice, trained by Sir Mark Prescott, who landed this contest with Alleluia from that same age group in 2001. Tastahil from Barry Hills' stable and Jeff Pearce's Whispering Gallery complete the line-up.
