Yet again a midweek racing drought is followed by an overflowing weekend which features a possibly intriguing Leopardstown fixture tomorrow and two more days of Listowel.
The Co Kerry track has the scene to itself today with the first of its marathon eight-race cards but the quality of Leopardstown demands the spotlight.
Three Listed classic trials may not have huge fields but promise to be hugely informative, no more so than in the case of the National Stakes winner Sinndar who puts his unbeaten record on the line in the Ballysax Stakes.
John Oxx's colt faces just four including the Dermot Weld duo of Grand Finale and Lammas who have both scored already this season. Sinndar faces a tough task giving to 7lb to Grand Finale in particular but may have most problems conceding the weight to the grandly named Shakespeare.
Aidan O'Brien's Rainbow Quest colt won his only start at the Curragh last July by just a head from It Happens Now - which is hardly brilliant form - but he looks a type to make a three-year-old and looked to have really progressed on a recent viewing.
O'Brien's view that Shake- speare is a possible Derby contender can gather credence and he will also be looking for such encouragement from the unbeaten Bach in the 2,000 Guineas Trial.
Bach won the Chesham at Royal Ascot on fast ground last June and hasn't been since. He's got just three opponents but as a son of Caerleon and Producer may not relish the forecast 'yielding to soft' ground. With a winning run already behind him, the Weld-trained Legal Jousting is preferred on this occasion although Michael Grassick's Doncaster winner Golovin must be respected, having beaten runners from the Gosden, Cecil and Stoute yards on his only start.
The other trial is for fillies where O'Brien's full sister to King Of Kings, Amethyst, is sure to attract support, along with Aretha and the Birdcatcher winner Romanylei. A value alternative however may be Sand Partridge whose general form matches up quite well and comes from a yard whose runners seem to be doing well.
As well as Shakespeare, the Ballydoyle stable can also hit the mark with the two-year-old Tribal Drum, who must have improved for his Cork debut behind Mowassel, and Shoal Creek in the last. He met with slight interference on his seasonal debut behind Legal Jousting and should relish the extra distance here.
At Listowel today, the initial focus is also on the flat and punters can get off to a flying start with Majariyya in the opener.
The filly was the outsider of her stable's three runners, and was ridden by an apprentice, when second on her debut last year to the highly touted Commanche Saddle in a ninefurlong maiden at Cork.
On the ratings Alluring is a clear winner but she has flattered before and although she may be preferred further in time, Majariyya is taken to score.
Hirapour, a 150,000 Guineas purchase out of the Oxx yard last autumn, drops in distance for the Dawn Race and that could just swing it his way ahead of Theatreworld and Mudaa-Eb, while Nicholls Cross should find the fences here more forgiving than Cheltenham's and is the selection in the £20,000 handicap chase.
The Listowel feature tomorrow is the Galvin Handicap Hurdle where Sly Empress is a tentative selection but a better bet could prove to be Cailin's Perk in the last. A good second at Gowran to Tuesday indicated real talent and she finished lame when favourite at Clonmel afterwards. Significantly the top amateur Philip Fenton has kept faith with her.
The Minister for Finance Charlie McCreevy has appointed the civil servants Michael Dowling and Jim Becher to try and help ease the stand-off between the Turf Club and the Irish Horseracing Authority over his proposed changes to the funding of Irish racing. The IHA chief executive Martin Moore yesterday described the move as a 'logical and very positive development.'
