Preview roscommon 21st May

A bumper eight-race card at Roscommon kicks off at 5.30 with the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden, which sees Battle Of Saratoga sport blinkers for the first time as he searches for a win.

Aidan O'Brien's charge has some decent opposition to contend with, including John Oxx's Allowed, who let favourite-backers down at Leopardstown when bumping into the smart Dermot Weld newcomer Show Court, while Weld himself saddles Encrypted Message and Stuccodor.

The master of Rosewell House has a very strong contender for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden in Sparkling View, who got within two lengths of victory at Dundalk last time.

Whisper Gently was beaten a lot further on her last start, but as the winner was Unaccompanied she might get much closer in this.

Leah Claire attempts to gain reward for some decent efforts of late in the richest Flat race on the card, the Connolly's Red Mills Horse Care Cubes Handicap.

However, recent Clonmel fifth Casimir Road and the lightly raced Statesmanship are likely to ensure this is a searching test.

Jumps action takes over the second half of the card and the concluding Frank Hannon Memorial Handicap Chase is the biggest pot on offer.

Kilflora may find this shorter trip to his liking after struggling late on at Kilbeggan last time, while Cork winner De Dodger and John Clifford's Sumkindasuprstar are others well in with a shout.

Benash, who was second to Snap Tie in a big handicap hurdle at Punchestown and again second when tried over fences at Kilbeggan last time, lines up in the roscommonracecourse.ie Beginners Chase.

John Carr's charge has struggled over the larger obstacles in the past, though, so Noel Meade's Sligo winner Pat Garrett and Henry De Bromhead's Thurles scorer Old Laxey should not be left out of calculations.