Falbrav enters Ascot stakes

Falbrav, the winner of three Group 1 races this year, has been supplemented to Saturday's $490,000 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at a cost of 25,000 pounds ($40,900).

Falbrav could face Dubai Destination, Russian Rhythm, and 2002 winner Where or When in the Queen Elizabeth II. The Group 1 mile race at Ascot will be the first start for Falbrav at such a short distance since he won his maiden in his career debut at Milan on Sept. 3, 2000.

Since then, Falbrav, a son of Fairy King, has won six Group 1 races between nine and 12 furlongs, including the Eclipse Stakes and the Juddmonte International Stakes this summer.

Speculation concerning Falbrav, a 5-year-old trained by Luca Cumani, has been swirling on a number of fronts. Cumani wants to send Falbrav to Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup Turf on Oct. 25. However, the horse's Italian-based owners at Scuderia Rencati have been hesitant about paying the $180,000 supplementary fee required to get him into the race.

In the meantime, Cumani's appeal to the stewards of the Irish Turf Club to disqualify High Chaparral from the Irish Champion Stakes and award the race to Falbrav, the runner-up, will not be heard until mid-October, when all of the principals will be available for interviews on the same day.