Frankie Dettori and Willie Mullins have each selected their seven-strong squads for the inaugural Barney Curley Charity Cup at Bellewstown on September 28.
Dettori’s side comprises former British and Irish champion Jamie Spencer, Shane Kelly, Tom Queally, Seamie Heffernan, Billy Lee, Chris Hayes and Siobhan Rutledge, while Mullins has Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Rachael Blackmore lining up alongside current Irish champion Colin Keane.
Wayne Lordan, Declan McDonogh, Shane Foley, Dylan Browne McMonagle and Robert Whearty complete the Mullins crew, with the two teams competing over two races with points awarded on a sliding scale down to eighth and the highest-scoring side the winner.
Dettori said: “I really want to win the inaugural Barney Curley Charity Cup so have picked a team that will give us every chance to lift the cup.
“Jamie, Shane and Tom, all great friends of Barney, are travelling over from the UK especially for this event.
“Seamie Heffernan is one of the most experienced jockeys in the weighing room, while Billy and Chris are having great seasons. Siobhan is one of Ireland’s top apprentices and is hugely talented, so I’m confident we will give Willie’s team a good run for their money.”
Mullins expects his team to mount a bold challenge on familiar soil.
He said: “The pressure is on the home team to win the first Barney Curley Charity Cup so I’ve picked a very competitive team, with a great spread of experience, who all know what it takes to win.
“Bellewstown is Robert Whearty’s home racecourse, so it’s great to have that local knowledge on the team. Rachael and Colin are well used to breaking glass ceilings while Wayne, Declan, Shane and Dylan have been racking up the winners this year.
“We are going to give it our all, in memory of Barney and the great work he did with DAFA.”
The contest will benefit Direct Aid For Africa (DAFA), the charity set up by Curley in 1996 to support the underprivileged people of Zambia.
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