Navan has beaten off the weather threat to stage 14 Flat races this weekend, a fact that may not do much for the hordes of National Hunt enthusiasts about to descend on Punchestown but a chink of light for those who are following the trends of the still developing Flat term.
That term has already borne predictable fruit for the Dermot Weld and Aidan O'Brien camps who have already notched up 14 and 11 winners respectively. However, you don't have to be Einstein to notice the most eyecatching statistic which is the clear third-place position in the trainer table of Curragh-based Jim Gorman.
A total of five winners already means that along with Weld and O'Brien, Gorman is the only trainer so far this season to have had more than one success. Considering the remainder includes the well established names of Oxx, Prendergast, Bolger et al then Gorman's comparatively small team are clearly on fire. And maybe the bet of the weekend is that Christy Senior will add fuel to that fire by scoring tomorrow.
At first the Mullagh Handicap may be most noteworthy due to the presence of the Ladbroke winner Mantles Prince who has clearly recovered from the bout of colic that forced him to miss out on Fairyhouse last Tuesday. As a two-mile winner at Galway last year off a mark of 74 Mantles Prince's chance is clear at these weights but maybe the trip could be a problem.
The trip and the ground will not be a problem for Christy Senior who also looks well handicapped but maybe not as obviously. Now nestling on a mark of 56, it's worth remembering that the ex-Jim Bolger horse finished 1998 with a 78 rating and landed a gamble at the Curragh off 70.
Christy Senior didn't sparkle last year but showed a clear sign of returning to his best with when going down by just three-quarters of a length in a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse last Sunday and in common with most of his runners at the moment, Gorman is expecting a big run.
"The horses are just very healthy and well," said the trainer yesterday. "They've come to hand very early and on very soft ground you do need a fit horse." Christy Senior looks a good each-way bet to prove the point tomorrow.
As for today, the old firm of Weld and Oxx look set to dominate with both trainers looking to have reasonable prospects of a double each. On ratings the National Stakes runner-up Murawwi has the clear winning of the Tara Sires Race while the other £10,000 race, the Dunsany Race could see a mild surprise. Potentille is unproven on the ground but with the very effective Mary Williamson claiming 10lb, the Caerleon filly has a featherweight.
Weld's three-year-old maidens are clearly decent and the latest of them to appear, Sage Dancer, is a brother to the Irish Derby winner Zagreb who is clearly regarded as decent while Gaudi looks unopposable, even over two miles, in the last for Oxx.
Back to tomorrow and Baladeur, a slow starting second to Tribal Drum on his debut, is impossible to oppose in the first while yet again Oxx and Weld should be on the mark. The exLuca Cumani Katiykha will make no one rich in the last but Creux Noir is fancied in the Kilskyre Handicap.
Rain-hit Down Royal will hold a precautionary inspection at 3.30 p.m. today to determine whether racing can be staged on Monday.
