Weld books Oisin Murphy for improving Falcon Eight's big clash with Stradivarius

Exciting stayer Falcon Eight will test himself against the best in the business at York on Friday as he has been primed to take on the mighty Stradivarius in the Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup.

Trainer Dermot Weld has enlisted the services of jockeys' title leader Oisin Murphy, who will ride the progressive four-year-old for the first time.

Weld won the Lonsdale Cup in 2014 with Pale Mimosa and, although he is under no illusions about the size of the task facing Falcon Eight, he believes he has a very promising stayer on his hands.

Weld heaped praise on Frankie Dettori for his finesse in the saddle at Sandown last month, when he coaxed Falcon Eight to a narrow victory over Mekong in a Listed contest.

However, the presence of Stradivarius, attempting to win the £1 million bonus for the second year in succession, has forced him to look elsewhere for another rider.

Frankie Dettori: the man in the Stradivarius colours is the one Oisin Murphy will have to overcome in the Lonsdale CupCredit: Alan Crowhurst (Getty Images)

Weld said: "The plan is for Falcon Eight to go to York on Friday for the Lonsdale Cup and Oisin Murphy will ride. We were originally going to run at Deauville on Sunday but I am very happy we didn't go there with the way the ground went.

"Our fellow has a lot to learn and I think, like a lot of stayers, he won't come into his own for a few years. It takes time for these top stayers to develop and I would like to think he will progress into a very nice stayer. I think he has a bright future."

Falcon Eight has raced only five times, winning at the Curragh, Killarney and Sandown, but perhaps he caught the eye most when flying home to take second behind Twilight Payment in the Saval Beg Stakes at Leopardstown in May. He had Capri and Master Of Reality behind.

Falcon Eight is a 5-1 shot with most firms for Friday's staying showpiece, with Stradivarius generally the 2-5 favourite to extend his winning run to nine.

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