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Duke of Marmalade - who may be accompanied by Ballydoyle stable-mate Rip Van Winkle, a contender for a two-year-old race - is one of a stellar cast aimed at the Breeders Cup in California on October 24. Even the fact that his trainer, Aidan O'Brien, is considering Great Leighs for the horse's warm-up run is a major endorsement for Great Leighs which only opened five months ago.

The Irish Times said it would be "a remarkable coup" for Essex if Duke of Marmalade arrived, while Greg Wood, The Guardian's senior racing journalist wrote: "The choice is between the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe or Great Leighs.  Paris or Essex: who would have thought it could ever be a tricky decision!?  Even if Paris gets the nod, the mere fact that O'Brien has floated the idea of a trip to Chelmsford will have been noted in America."

The news has featured right across the UK racing print and broadcast media and Great Leighs communications director Pippa Cuckson has led been busy answering calls from US racing journalists across Kentucky - heartland of US horseracing - and California. Jeff Lowe writes in today's The Thoroughbred

Times: "John Holmes' vision may unfold with the dream scenario of Duke of Marmalade, the world's top-rated turf horse in a recent poll, using the Thoroughbred Open Classic as a test for the $5million Breeders Cup Classic."

The Breeders Cup is the world's most valuable race-meeting, with millions of dollars on offer in every race. But the best European horses have not always fared well, as they mostly race on Turf and do not have the opportunities for "match-practice" on the oval "dirt" (all-weather) circuits that predominate in the USA. This has led to repeated press comment that Britain and northern Europe desperately need a quality all-weather racecourse to fill this gap.

Great Leighs chairman John Holmes heeded this when designing Great Leighs, though only fast-tracked the "trial" meeting to autumn 2008 after the racecourse's equine facilities quickly garnered rave reviews.

John Holmes said: "We are not going to get ahead of ourselves but obviously the fact that O'Brien is even thinking of us underlines that we have pitched this right.

"There have been difficulties getting Great Leighs up and running but it is a matter of fact that our circuit is ideally configured to provide this sort of match-practice, so we were always determined not to lose sight of our ambitions."

The Thoroughbred Open starts at 5.50pm (one hour earlier than usual), with the last race at 9.20pm.

Tickets can be bought now on www.greatleighs.com