Weld to Try Luck Again

No Irish-born trainer has won more races than Dermot Weld.

The former jockey surpassed Jim Parkinson’s record of 2,577 victories when Georgia Peach won on Aug. 8, 2000, and Weld now has well over 3,000 wins.

During a training career that began in 1972, Weld, 57, not only has won numerous significant events in his native country, but in various other parts of the world, including England, Australia, Hong Kong and the United States.

Weld will be making another trip to California this weekend. It is best to pay attention when one of his horses shows up at Hollywood Park.

In 2002, Dress To Thrill, owned by Walter Haefner’s Moyglare Stud Farm, won the Matriarch against a top-quality field. Less than a year later, Dimitrova won the second running of the American Oaks.

The representative for Weld this time in Inglewood is Grey Swallow, who will make his American debut in the $250,000 Jim Murray Memorial Handicap, a Grade III at 1 1/2 miles on turf. The Murray is one of three graded stakes on Saturday’s card, along with the $150,000 Mervyn LeRoy Handicap and the $100,000 Los Angeles Handicap.

Grey Swallow, purchased this year by Alain Vetterli, will be making his first start as a 5-year-old in the Murray. He has been idle since finishing fourth -- he crossed the wire third but was disqualified for alleged interference -- in the Canadian International on Oct. 23 at Woodbine.

A son of Daylami bred in Ireland by Weld’s mother, Mrs. C.L. Weld, Grey Swallow has won five of 12 and earned more than $1.4 million. His biggest victories have come in a pair of Group I races in Ireland. He won the 2004 Irish Derby as a 10-1 shot and the 2005 Tattersalls Gold Cup at 6-1.

The success Weld has enjoyed in California in the past is why Grey Swallow is running in the Murray, but this race wasn’t the original target for the Irish bred.

“My plan had been to run him in the Dubai World Cup,” Weld said by phone, referring to the $6-million race that was run March 25.

“But we had two little training holdups with him and you can’t win the richest race in the world with little training holdups, so we decided to take a different route.

“There wasn’t really anything for him on the East Coast at this time, so we decided on the Murray. We’re going to use it as a prep for the Manhattan. The plan is to run here, then take him to New York.”

The Manhattan is a Grade I at 1 1/4 miles on grass that will be part of the Belmont Stakes undercard June 10 at Belmont Park.

Accompanied to the U.S. by Bobby Dolan, an assistant to Weld who also serves as an exercise rider, Grey Swallow got to test Hollywood Park’s new turf course for the first time Sunday. Under Dolan, he worked a mile in 1:39 1/5 .

“He moved well on the grass and handled the bend perfectly,” Dolan said. “He needed it badly. He was a bit stuffy from having been in quarantine” for a couple of days after his arrival at Hollywood Park.

There had been some discussion about retiring Grey Swallow at the end of 2005, but, according to Weld, the horse was sound and the decision was made to continue for another year.

“He’s doing well, he shipped in good and, hopefully, he will run a very big race on Saturday,” said Weld, who won the 1990 Belmont Stakes with Go and Go.

Weld is due to arrive here today, but Patrick Smullen, Gray Swallow’s rider for all of his starts, won’t be here. He has a commitment in Ireland on Sunday and wouldn’t have been able to make it back in time, so Alex Solis will be riding the horse.

Grey Swallow, who has never won outside of Ireland, will carry 121 pounds, one less than highweight King’s Drama, who was last seen winning the San Luis Rey Stakes for trainer Bobby Frankel and owner Gary Tanaka on March 25 at Santa Anita.