Jockey Johnny Murtagh, who rode Sinndar to victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-I), will guide Daliapour from post position 11 in the $1.5 million Canadian International (Can-I) Sunday at Woodbine. The 1 1/2-mile turf race is the sixth leg of the Emirates World Series Racing Championship and a victory for Daliapour would give the 4-year-old son of Sadler's Wells the lead in the series.
The Aga Khan's Daliapour is the morning-line favorite at 2-1 and enters the Canadian International following a fourth-place finish in the Mercedes Benz-Grosser Preis von Baden (Ger-I). Prior to that race, he finished third – behind only Montjeu and Fantastic Light – in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes (Eng-I) after winning both the Vodafone Coronation Cup (Eng-I), in which he defeated Fantastic Light, and the Ormonde Stakes (Eng-III).
Godolphin Racing entered Mutafaweq, who will begin the race from post position five under Frankie Dettori. In September, the Saeed bin Suroor-trained Mutafaweq finished a troubled eighth in the Grosser Preis von Baden before placing third in the 1 3/4-mile Jefferson Smurfit Memorial Irish St. Leger (Ire-I).
Also Sunday at Woodbine is the $500,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (Can-I), a 1 1/4-mile race for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up on the turf. Wild Heart Dancing, cross entered in the WinStar Galaxy Stakes (gr. IT) Friday at Keeneland, drew the rail. Gary Stevens is named to ride the My Jo Lee Stable's runner, who won the Canadian Handicap (Can-II) at Woodbine in September.
The field for the Canadian International – with jockeys, weights, and morning-line odds – will consist of:
1 -- Free Vacation, David Clark, 123, 15-1
2 -- Murghem, Darryll Holland, 126, 10-1
3 -- Williams News, Patrick Husbands, 126, 12-1
4 -- I and I, Jim McAleney, 118, 30-1
5 -- Mutafaweq, Frankie Dettori, 126, 3-1
6 -- Bad River, Gary Boulanger, 118, 30-1
7 -- Caitano, Andrasch Starke, 126, 9-2
8 -- River Boat, Slade Callaghan, 126, 20-1
9 -- Tappat, Ricky Frazier, 126, 20-1
10 -- Dawson's Legacy, Todd Kabel, 126, 20-1
11 -- Daliapour, Johnny Murtagh, 126, 2-1
12 -- Lycitus, Gary Stevens, 118, 10-1
The E.P. Taylor field will consist of:
1 -- Wild Heart Dancing, Gary Stevens, 123
2 -- Melody Queen, Emile Ramsammy, 123
3 -- Amalia, Johnny Murtagh, 123
4 -- Lady At Peace, Yutaka Take, 123
5 -- Fly for Avie, Todd Kabel, 123
6 -- Alexis, Darryll Holland, 123
7 -- Innuendo, Frankie Dettori, 123
8 -- Lady Upstage, Michael Hills, 117
