Cairo heads strong O'Brien team at Leopardstown The Group 3 Killavullan Stakes is the highlight on an eight-race card at Leopardstown this afternoon while there is Irish interest on a big day for UK racing with the Qipco British Champions Day at Ascot. The Aidan O’Brien-trained Cairo, winner of a Curragh maiden and runner-up in the Listed Star Appeal Stakes at Dundalk last time, looks set to go off favourite for the ‘Killavullan’ which goes to post at 3.45pm. The champion trainer has a number of strong chances with Starry Eyed and Peking Opera both leading candidates in the opening two juvenile maiden races, while Realism is likely to go off at odds-on in another maiden later on the card. Goodie Two Shoes, trained by Joseph O’Brien for JP McManus, has impressed in winning both her starts and bids to make it a hat-trick in the Listed Trigo Stakes at 4.20pm. The concluding Leopardstown October Handicap is a tricky puzzle for punters and Michael Halford is hoping Golden Twilight can bag another Premier Handicap. The five-year-old won the ‘Red God’ at Dundalk in August and was just denied by a nose here last month in the ‘Petingo’ on Irish Champions Weekend. Halford, who was among the winners at Dundalk last night, said: "Golden Twilight did very well from a very wide draw the last day. He was challenged early and just had to go a bit earlier than Ronan (Whelan) wanted on him. He ran terrific in the circumstances. "Better draw tomorrow and he is working really well, I'm delighted with him. I'm very happy with him, his training has gone really well and he is a rock-solid horse. "The rain wouldn't bother him too much. I'd say it will be ideal for him." The going is officially good to yielding, yielding in places, following 2mm of rain overnight. The forecast is for a bright and breezy day with the small chance of a passing shower and temperatures around 13C. The action gets underway at 1.30pm. Meanwhile the first on a six-race programme at Ascot commences five minutes earlier at 1.25pm with the featured Qipco Champion Stakes at 4pm. Clerk of the Course Chris Stickels reports the going as good to soft, soft in places. “We are really pleased with the track — it is in lovely condition,” said Stickels. “We are a mixture of good to soft, soft in places, with the soft sections largely on the round course around Swinley Bottom. “It has been a relatively dry build-up to the day with 10mm of rain in the past week. We may get the occasional blustery shower today but nothing substantial is forecast.” The going stick readings at 8am this morning were 7.3 (Straight) and 6.7 (Round). The stalls are on the far side on the Straight Course and the inside on the Round Course. Meanwhile racing takes place tomorrow at both Cork and Naas. Naas hosts a competitive eight-race Flat card with over €300,000 in prizemoney beginning at 1.10pm, while an eight-race jumps meeting at Cork Racecourse in Mallow starts at 1.20pm. Racegoers are advised that the N73 between Mitchelstown and Mallow is closed due to roadworks and traffic is diverted via Fermoy which will add approximately 30 minutes to your journey.
