Al Riffa is on course to return to France for his seasonal reappearance, with the Prix Ganay the starting point for a campaign Joseph O’Brien hopes will yield big-race success.

A Group One winner at two, the son of Wootton Bassett stamped himself among the top juveniles in Ireland when winning the Vincent O’Brien National Stakes in 2022.

Amongst the leading fancies for the following year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas, he missed the early part of the season and following a low-key comeback at the Curragh took on the might of Ace Impact in the Prix Guillaume d’Ornano at Deauville.

Although vanquished by Jean Claude-Rouget’s superstar – who would go on to retire unbeaten after victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe – Al Riffa was beaten less than a length.

That was his final start as a three-year-old with a stone bruise ruling the colt out of the Irish Champion Stakes.

However, he has been kept in training and will head to ParisLongchamp for his return to action on April 28, with a Group One victory at four firmly in his sights.

“It was a really nice run at Deauville and the Irish Champion Stakes was going to be his next target but he missed that,” said O’Brien.

“We’re excited about his prospects this season and he’s on target for the Prix Ganay, that’s the plan.

“He’ll have a lot of entries, he’ll be entered in all of those top middle-distance races and we’ll take it race by race.

“We’re hoping he can be a horse that could maybe win a Group One for us this year.”

Inspiral is being prepared for a return in the Al Shaqab Lockinge Stakes as owners Cheveley Park Stud look to continue riding a crest of a wave with their all-star mare.

Trained by John and Thady Gosden, the daughter of Frankel ensured she was a Group One winner for the third successive season when landing the Prix Jacques le Marois last summer.

Inspiral soon supplemented that impressive Deauville triumph with further top-level victories in the Sun Chariot Stakes and at the Breeders’ Cup, prompting the decision to keep the leading mare in training at five with Newbury’s one-mile event on May 18 an initial target.

However, if that high-class event comes too soon for the nine-times winner, then she will revert to plan B which, like 12 months ago, involves beginning her campaign at Royal Ascot in June.

“The Lockinge is the plan, but obviously she is a filly that likes to take her time to come in the spring as we’ve seen before,” explained Chris Richardson, managing director of Cheveley Park Stud.

“Certainly the Lockinge looks the first engagement we can consider and if she tells us she’s not quite ready, then we can wait until the Queen Anne.

“She seems to be happy and well back in the yard and I watched her come up Warren Hill the other morning and she went up there nicely and quietly, so we will see how we go.”

Inspiral finished 2023 by successfully stepping up to 10 furlongs at Santa Anita when capturing the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf and although connections are keen to start the new season at a mile, options over further could be explored as the summer goes on.

“I think John is keen to start her off at a mile and then we can build over the campaign hopefully, all being well. We will definitely be considering going a mile and a quarter,” continued Richardson.

“She’s five now and a lovely filly who is still maturing and developing. She had a lovely break at the stud after America and they are a long time in the paddocks, so she is a mare we can really enjoy.

“She had a nice visit to us and was out in the paddock with her usual companions. She is always very inquisitive with her ears pricked, seeing who is coming round the corner next.”

Dallas Star caused a 50-1 upset in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown.

The Amo Racing-owned winner finished nine lengths behind Charlie Appleby’s Derby candidate Arabian Crown in a Group Three at Newmarket in the autumn when trained by Dominic French Davis.

Switched to Adrian Murray over the winter, the Cloth Of Stars colt was sent into an early lead under Seamie Heffernan but had to battle back after Deepone struck the front.

Dallas Star handled the testing ground well, regaining the initiative in the straight to gallop home three lengths clear of Aidan O’Brien’s The Euphrates, whose stablemate and odds-on favourite Illinois was only third.

“We were on a mission today to see how we were going or where we were going to go next,” said Murray.

“He kept finding for him. Twice during the race I thought he was done for and he kept coming back.

“I never thought I’d see the day where we would be competing in the same race as Aidan O’Brien.

“I was so near to packing it in a few years ago and it’s amazing the way things can turn around. The horses are very healthy and that is a big thing.

“He’ll be entered in all the big races now I suppose and we’ll see where we go. I’ll have to chat to Kia (Joorabchian, owner) and Robson (Aguiar, part of the Amo team) and see where they want to go.

“He came to us over the winter.”

A Lilac Rolla maintained her unbeaten record with a gritty display in the Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” Stakes at Leopardstown.

Paddy Twomey’s filly had won both her starts at two, and she had one piece of standout form in terms of this Group Three.

She had finished in front of Aidan O’Brien’s Opera Singer at the Curragh in August, with that filly going on to win the Prix Marcel Boussac by five lengths.

Sent off at 9-2, A Lilac Rolla’s rider Billy Lee was keen not to let Seamie Heffernan get too far clear on Kitty Rose and from a long way out the two had it between themselves.

Both of them stuck to the task gamely but it was A Lilac Rolla who just came out on top by a head, with the pair almost three lengths clear of Buttons in third.

“I think she’s a good filly and I’d hoped she would do something like that,” said Twomey.

“I haven’t run her since she won the second time last year as she just grew and I wanted to give her the time. I’m glad I did and she’s trained well all winter.

“I was looking forward to coming here today, although the heavy ground was a concern as her form was on good ground. She’s uncomplicated and she’s tough.

“She had every chance to curl up if she wanted to but she didn’t.

“We’re lucky that we have good horses and good owners. I’m very well supported and appreciative of that.”

A Lilac Rolla maintained her unbeaten record with a gritty display in the Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” Stakes at Leopardstown.

Paddy Twomey’s filly had won both her starts at two, and she had one piece of standout form in terms of this Group Three.

She had finished in front of Aidan O’Brien’s Opera Singer at the Curragh in August, with that filly going on to win the Prix Marcel Boussac by five lengths.

Sent off at 9-2, A Lilac Rolla’s rider Billy Lee was keen not to let Seamie Heffernan get too far clear on Kitty Rose and from a long way out the two had it between themselves.

Both of them stuck to the task gamely but it was A Lilac Rolla who just came out on top by a head, with the pair almost three lengths clear of Buttons in third.

“I think she’s a good filly and I’d hoped she would do something like that,” said Twomey.

“I haven’t run her since she won the second time last year as she just grew and I wanted to give her the time. I’m glad I did and she’s trained well all winter.

“I was looking forward to coming here today, although the heavy ground was a concern as her form was on good ground. She’s uncomplicated and she’s tough.

“She had every chance to curl up if she wanted to but she didn’t.

“We’re lucky that we have good horses and good owners. I’m very well supported and appreciative of that.”

Aidan O’Brien is sticking to his original plan with Auguste Rodin, despite his disappointing effort in the Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan.

Winner of both the Derby and the Irish Derby last year, the Deep Impact colt had produced lacklustre efforts in both the 2000 Guineas and King George at Ascot either side of those Classic victories.

He ended his season by winning both the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Santa Anita, but never looked like getting involved on his return to action in Dubai, coming home last of 12 runners.

O’Brien felt the race did not suit and will look to get his campaign back on track in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh on May 26.

“He’s well and we just put a line through the race. It was a tactical affair and we just got caught in the wrong part of it,” said O’Brien.

“The good thing about Ryan (Moore) is when things go wrong like that, he accepts it very quickly and the horse doesn’t get a hard race.

“We are looking at going to the Curragh (for the Tattersalls Gold Cup) if everything goes fine.”

Aintree is set to experience a wet start to the week as the flagship Randox Grand National meeting looms.

The three-day fixture starts on Thursday and peaks on Saturday with the National itself.

The forecast before the opening day includes plenty of rain, with the majority looking set to fall before the meeting starts.

The ground was varying between soft and heavy across the two courses at Aintree on Sunday, following an incredibly wet winter and early spring. There is clearly more to come, although it may alleviate when the gates open on Thursday for an afternoon that kicks off with four successive Grade One races.

“We’re soft, heavy in places on the Grand National course and soft on the Mildmay,” said Sulekha Varma, clerk of the course at Aintree.

“We are sunny and breezy at the moment, but we are expecting another band of rain to move in over the next few days, probably quite heavy rain at times.

“Then Thursday, Friday and Saturday are looking overcast, perhaps some showers but nothing too significant.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a shower or two through racing, but the bulk of the rain seems to be at the start of the week.”

Paddy Twomey is in an enviable position as he considers where to send Guineas hopefuls One Look and Purple Lily.

Both fillies ran twice as two-year-olds and both showed a great deal of promise when winning their respective starts in good style.

One Look, a Gleneagles bay out of a Holy Roman Emperor mare called Holy Salt, made her debut in the Goffs Million at the Curragh last September having been purchased as a yearling via the auction house for €65,000.

There she faced a field of expensive purchases but made light work of them all when powering to a six-length success over seven furlongs and pocketing just shy of 10 times her purchase price as the first place purse was €610,000.

Earmarked as a top prospect for the 2024, One Look started her campaign in a Cork auction race and maintained her reputation with an easy three-length victory there.

“That was a good starting point for her, she won the Goffs Million last year and I was keen to get another run into her,” Twomey said.

“She went there ready to run and acquitted herself well in the circumstances, on the heavy ground, she’ll go for one of the Guineas in England or Ireland.

“Over the next few days we’ll make a decision on who goes where when we’ve run most of them.”

Purple Lily, who is by Calyx, also started her career on a good note when winning a Galway maiden last August and proved she had progressed into her three-year-old season when lining up in the TRM Equine Nutrition Race at Naas in March.

There she prevailed by three lengths from the Group One-placed Portland, and like her stablemate she now holds entries for the 1000 Guineas contests at both Newmarket and the Curragh.

“Purple Lily came out of her win in Naas in great form, I’m very happy with her,” Twomey said.

“She’s trained very well since, we’re looking forward to the year ahead and we’ll decide soon which of the Guineas she’ll go for – hopefully it’ll be either the English or the Irish Guineas.

“We’re lucky to have some nice horses in and we’re just hoping they can have a good year.”

Aidan Coleman has announced his retirement from the saddle having failed to recover from a knee injury.

The 35-year-old suffered a fall at Worcester in June and has been battling to return ever since, undergoing several surgeries on his knee and a shattered tibia.

Coleman, who will possibly be best remembered for his association with the recently-retired Paisley Park, has undergone a lengthy rehabilitation process but has conceded he will not recover sufficiently to resume his riding career.

“The prognosis early was quite bleak about returning to ride,” he told Racing TV’s Luck On Sunday.

“But around September when the rehab was early I was kidding myself that I could get back from this. In early December I had another operation and since that the progress has really plateaued.

“The gym is good because it’s a stable surface but I can’t run or jump. I can’t ride a horse really. A lot of people would say I couldn’t anyway so what’s the difference!

“Since Christmas, every time I’ve tried to ride a horse it’s not really gone well and I just can’t really do it and I definitely wouldn’t be able to ride in a race or anything like that.

“Speaking to Jerry Hill (the BHA’s chief medical adviser) and my surgeon, my chances of improving are negative now, so that’s it. My knee won’t stand the demands of being a jockey or get anywhere near it, so that’s it.”

Coleman enjoyed a successful association early in his career with Venetia Williams but overlooked her 100-1 Grand National winner Mon Mome in favour of stablemate Stan.

There were many good days in a stellar career, though, with Emma Lavelle’s Paisley Park winning the Long Walk Hurdle three times and the Stayers’ Hurdle in 2019.

Coleman also picked up the rides on Epatante, winning an Aintree Hurdle and two Fighting Fifths, and Jonbon, on whom he won multiple Grade Ones.

“I think the last few years I’ve been at my happiest, riding horses like Paisley Park has been a mainstay since 2019, we picked up Epatante, Jonbon, winning the Champion Chase on Put The Kettle On. I would have a good army of behind me when I got to September and they hit the board regularly,” said Coleman.

“I kind of gave up the idea of being champion jockey and being a slave to the game, that just wasn’t for me. I enjoyed the good horses so much I just wanted to focus on them rather than the numbers and since I did that I think I rode better.”

Leopardstown’s Classic trials card will go ahead as planned after the track passed a 7.30am inspection.

The P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes is one of the highlights having produced several top-class performers over the years, including three subsequent Epsom winners in Galileo (2001), High Chaparral (2002) and Harzand (2016).

Two other Group Three events in the Ballylinch Stud “Red Rocks” Stakes and the Ballylinch Stud “Priory Belle” Stakes also take place on ground described as heavy.

Clerk of the course Lorcan Wyer said: “The track at Leopardstown is fit for racing and the fixture scheduled for today goes ahead.

“The ground remains heavy but we had no measurable rain at the track in the last 24 hours and some strong winds. Today looks to be mainly sunny and breezy.”

The track at Carlisle also passed a 7am inspection allowing the final day of the Go North Series Finals to go take place, although conditions are heavy.

Tuesday’s meeting at Hexham has been called off though, with areas of false ground and standing water on the course.

Lionel Messi has scored in his return for Inter Miami in their 2-2 draw against the Colorado Rapids.

Messi has been out of action since he was subbed off during the Champions Cup match against Nashville on March 13, missing four Inter Miami games and two with Argentina during his period on the sidelines.

He returned to the field on Saturday night from the bench, scoring and equalising in the 58th minute after Colorado forward Rafael Navarro scored via penalty just before halftime.

In his fourth goal in the MLS this season, Messi beat Rapids keeper Zach Steffen to the ball and took a low shot that struck the post before skittering across the goal, eventually crossing the line.

Just minutes later Messi was involved again, passing to David Ruiz, who sent it towards forward Leo Alfonso for his first goal at the club, giving Inter Miami the lead.

Colorado’s Cole Bassett hit back late to tie the game in the 88th minute for the Rapids, driving the ball to the bottom right corner off his left foot.