Scenic Blast: Royal Ascot winner is now trained by John Shirreffs

  PICTURE: Mark Cranham  

Grade 1 assignment for Scenic Blast at Del Mar

Preview: USA, Sunday 1.30am (Mon) BST

Del Mar: Bing Crosby Stakes (Grade 1) 6f, AW, 3yo+

SCENIC BLAST (John Shirreffs/Mike Smith), the reigning Australian horse of the year, breaks new ground on Sunday when he shifts to the Polytrack for the second run of his nascent US career.

A change of plan means the 2009 King's Stand Stakes winner will take on the top Californian main-track sprinters in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at Del Mar.

The six-year-old suffered a minor setback that forced new trainer John Shirreffs to abandon plans to step Scenic Blast up to 1m in a race earlier this week.

"He lost a week's work so John didn't want to step him up to the 1,600 metres," said Perth-based part-owner Elio Galante, speaking to the West Australian.

"He was on antibiotics for five days but is completely over it now. All things going well he'll run a super race."

Scenic Blast came home strongly when fourth in a 6f turf race on his US debut at Hollywood Park last month.

His chief rivals in the Bing Crosby are headed by a pair of Grade 1 winners in powerful front-runner Cost Of Freedom (John Sadler/Rafael Bejarano), winner of both his 2010 starts, and Triple Bend winner E Z's Gentleman (Bob Baffert/Martin Pedroza).

E Z's Gentleman, who shoulders top weight of 8st11lb, breaks from the rail, two inside Scenic Blast.

Bing Crosby Stakes

Coral: 5-4 Cost Of Freedom, 5-2 E Z's Gentleman, 7 Scenic Blast, Smiling Tiger, 11 My Summer Slew, 14 El Brujo, 25 Sky Cape

Also on Sunday

Monmouth Park: Jersey Stakes 1m½f, turf, 3yo (9.57pm BST, live on ATR)

Audacity Of Hope, formerly trained by Charlie McBride, will make his debut for trainer Jeremy Noseda in the Jersey Derby at Monmouth Park onSunday. Ramon Dominguez rides.

The son of Red Ransom, sixth on his last start in the Britannia at Royal Ascot, will remain in the US after the $150,000 contest, which carries no graded status.

"He has shipped to America and so far all has gone well with him," said Noseda. "The race is a mile and half a furlong on the turf which should suit and as long as he has taken the journey well then he should be very competitive."

Saratoga: Ruffian Hcap (Grade 1) 1m1f,dirt, 3yo+ f/m (10.30pm BST, live on ATR)

Unrivaled Belle (Bill Mott Kent Desormeaux) beat none other than Rachel Alexandra two outings ago in Grade 2 company at Churchill Downs before finishing second in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps.

She carries top weight of 8st7lb, giving 3lb to fellow Grade 2 winner Malibu Prayer (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez).

Canadian-trained Tasty Temptation (Mark Casse/Julien Leparoux) has run up a hat-trick at Woodbine.

Saratoga: Fourstardave Hcap (Grade 2) 1m½f, turf, 3yo+ (9.21pm BST, live on ATR)

A field of ten older horses is headed by Get Stormy (Thomas Bush/Javier Castellano),undone by soft ground at Woodbine as he attempted to complete a six-timer on his most recent start.

Whatsthescript (Gary Contessa/Garrett Gomez), a multiple graded-stakes winner on the west coast, showed up well in his comeback race after an abortive stud career.