RACING: Tomorrow's Curragh feature, the Castlemartin Stud Gladness Stakes, normally provides classic clues but even though that is no longer the case Abunawwas can still come out on top.
Four British-trained horses have travelled including Orientor, who has been supplemented at a cost of €7,000, and Monsieur Bond who was behind Orientor in the race won by Goldeva at Doncaster.
Michael Kinane is on Sea Dart for John Oxx while the bookies will be wary of the Christy Roche-trained Desert Fantasy who rose from a mark of 60 last season to make a mark on black type races.
However, Abunawwas has already made his mark on this level and is normally effective at this time of year.
Classic clues will come in Oak Lodge Loughbrown Stakes instead with Wathab having his first start for Dermot Weld in the Listed race.
Up against him will be Newton who represents Grey Swallow form from last year and Dabiroun who drops a furlong from his winning debut here a fortnight ago.
John Oxx mentioned some fancy races like the Ballysax as possibly being in Dabiroun's future but Wathab's two-year-old form is formidable and Weld has been issuing positive bulletins on the horse recently.
The concluding two-mile race was won by Beef Or Salmon last year and this time the star National Hunt name is Solerina who comes here on the back of a fourth in the Stayers Hurdle at Cheltenham.
The Bowe family are using this race instead of today's Martell Hurdle as a warm up for Punchestown but not many jumpers have to cope with a 107-rated flat star like Handel.
Aidan O'Brien's got off the mark for the season with Russian Blue a fortnight ago and the Fasliyev colt Lord Nelson can secure another two-year-old pot.
The Ballydoyle trainer has won the mile three-year-old maiden twice in the last three years and this time Book Of Kings looks his hope.
Eurolink Rooster was out of the handicap in the Lincolnshire but ran well. The mile and a quarter handicap can be a consolation.
Tramore, is also in action with Paddy's Girl hoping to get back on the winning trail in the Beginners Chase.The "Dusty" Sheehy trained mare won a hurdle race at Thurles at the start of February but lost the prize in a Turf Club enquiry earlier this week.
Noel Meade gives Athlumney Lad a third start over hurdles in the second maiden and there was enough in this one's run behind Sea To Sky at Thurles to suggest he can make it third time lucky.
Snowy Ford is 3lbs higher for a course and distance win but still holds his chance in the handicap chase.
