THE Welcome To Yorkshire Ebor Festival bursts into life next week and it starts with a bang as dual Guineas winner Gleneagles is set for a mouth-watering clash with Derby hero Golden Horn in the Juddmonte International Stakes on Wednesday.

Aiden O'Brien, trainer of Gleneagles, said: "The plan was for Gleneagles to go to Deauville on Sunday, but with the rain that they've had and the forecast, that won't be happening now.

"We've discussed things this afternoon and if the ground at York is good to firm then we will let him take his chance in the Juddmonte International."

The trainer added: "I've always considered Gleneagles a true miler, but he needs good, fast ground to be seen at his best; therefore York will probably be his next race as we are running out of options with him.

"It's a very sporting gesture by his owners."

The duo could take on Royal Ascot winner Time Test and last year's Irish Champion Stakes winner The Grey Gatsby, who finished second in the York feature 12 months ago behind O'Brien's Australia, in a race which is not to be missed.

There should be plenty of local chances as well and Mark Johnston's Buratino could go for the Group 2 Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Gimcrack Stakes.

The Godolphin-owned colt finished third to Air Force Blue in the Group One Keeneland Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh on Sunday, but could drop slightly in grade on the Knavesmire.

The son of Exceed And Excel had earlier beaten Air Force Blue in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The trainers' son, Charlie, said: “Dad needs to have a discussion with John Ferguson and the Godolphin team, but at the moment it is not out of the question that Buratino runs in the Gimcrack.

“It is worth £220,000 and with Shalaa and Air Force Blue likely to head to the Prix Morny, it makes the Gimcrack a very attractive option.

“We felt that the slightly easy ground at the Curragh didn’t suit him and you could tell at halfway that he was in trouble. He didn’t travel with the same power as he did at Ascot.

“There is no disgrace in finishing third in a Group 1 and if he turns up at York on fast ground he would take all the beating.

“Whether Buratino runs or not, we shall probably run Ode To An Evening. He ran well when fifth in the Coventry, but has had a few niggles since.

“He seems in good shape now and goes there a fresh horse. He is a useful horse who deserves to be in the line-up.”

Another of the anticipated runners of the week from the Johnston yard is the unbeaten filly Lumiere, an emphatic winner on her only start to date in a maiden at Newmarket’s July Festival.

Also a daughter of Exceed And Excel, she is due to be supplemented for the Pinsent Masons Lowther Stakes, the richest Group 2 in the land for juvenile fillies, now worth £200,000 and staged appropriately on Ladies Day next Thursday.

"The plan is to supplement for the Lowther," Johnston said. "She missed a couple of days in the week of the Princess Margaret Stakes at Ascot, so we missed that and decided to come straight here.

“She has been A1 since and we are pleased with her. It is not the ordinary route for us to jump straight from a maiden win to a Group 2, but we don’t think she is an ordinary filly.

“She was very impressive at Newmarket and we are still dreaming. William (Buick, her jockey) was incredibly complimentary about her that day and feels she is up to this grade.

“I am not sure that she beat a lot at Newmarket, but she couldn’t have done it any better and we shall learn a lot more about her at York. A lot of her rivals have form at Stakes level and will have had plenty of racing. We are looking forward to it.”

Last year, the equivalent race saw Tiggy Wiggy and Cursory Glance, both subsequent Group 1 winners, in a high-class renewal and the boost in prize money means that Lumiere should form part of a another high quality field.

Johnston is also targeting the Group 3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes, yet another contest that will be run at the record level of £85,000, with the Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum-owned Adventurous.

The son of Invincible Spirit was a winner at Newbury in July before running a very creditable race to be fourth in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes.

Johnston said: “Adventurous ran a good race in the Richmond, shaping as though the step up to seven furlongs should really suit. He sets a good standard for a race like this and shouldn’t be far away.”

The Betfred Ebor is a rare omission on Johnston’s impressive CV and this year he is relying on the consistent duo of Notarised and Watersmeet.

Notarised was part of a Knavesmire four-timer on the final day of the Dante Festival and has also won the Old Newton Cup this year. His stablemate Watersmeet has won three times in 2015 and was fourth in the Group 3 Glorious Stakes at Goodwood on his last outing.

Johnston said of the pair: “Both horses always run their races and have good solid form this season.

“Notarised won at the track in the spring and has also won at Haydock, while Watersmeet ran well in a Group 3 last time out.

“Both horses have nothing to hide from the handicapper and it may be that there will be a few in there which are better handicapped, but they will run their races and can hopefully run in the first five or six.”

For Middleham-based Johnston, York’s Welcome to Yorkshire Ebor Festival is among the highlights of the racing calendar.

He added: “It is a great week’s racing. We shall try and have as many runners as possible and hopefully bag a few winners along the way.”