RACING: After a week in Galway, the racing caravan returns west for Roscommon where the first three-year-old hurdle of the season is run off. Brian O'Connor reports.
The likes of Frances Crowley and Noel Meade have picked this race up in recent years and they are again represented tonight.
Jumping ability is the unknown factor but there is no getting away from the fact that Askthejudge, who raced off a 92 rating last time, is the best of these on the flat.
At long last some summer weather is starting to squeeze up the ground a bit and that can see the veteran Celtic Lore come out on top in the mile and a half handicap.
The 10-year-old was almost first off the bridle in a race at Galway last week and still managed to fight his way into a challenging position in the straight.
The tacky ground stopped him from winning but a drying surface will be in his favour here.
Dermot Weld's horses were widely acknowledged to have been unsuited by the conditions at Galway and none more so than Perfect Touch.
A daughter of Miswaki, she was never going to like testing ground and she faded to seventh behind Ulysees. It should be a different story in the fillies maiden.
One horse that thrived at the festival, however, was Lantern Leader who won for the first time over three miles on Thursday.
Paul Carberry had an armchair ride on the Hourigan runner and although Carberry's style can be deceptive, Lantern Leader has just a 4lb penalty in tonight's handicap hurdle.
Barney Curley had the one winner at Galway and now he gives the Killarney fourth, Cristoforo, and 16-year-old jockey Billy Lee, a start in the seven-furlong handicap. It's a race that won't take a lot of winning.
War Emblem bounced back to form following his unsuccessful bid for the American Triple Crown with an easy win in the $990,000 Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park on Sunday.
The Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes hero making his first appearance since being well-beaten in the Belmont Stakes in June, showed his class in this Grade One event.
The 2 to 5 favourite made all for Victor Espinoza to score by just under four lengths.
