Leopardstown and Killarney are the attractions tomorrow and while the Co Kerry track has an interesting £25,000 handicap hurdle as its highlight, the main focus has to be Leopardstown's Group 3 Derrinstown Derby Trial and the almost £50,000 jackpot carryover from the last meeting there.
The Derby Trial is the second leg of the jackpot races and although there are nine smart colts involved, it would be difficult to blame anyone putting Risk Material in as a jackpot banker.
The reasons for that are many but perhaps foremost is the evidence that most of Aidan O'Brien's string have come on enormously for their first run of the season. King Of Kings is the obvious exception but while Risk Material may not have the Guineas winner's raw class, he is an impressively hardy individual who is rated highly in the Ballydoyle pecking order.
That toughness was emphasised here three weeks ago when after looking likely to be swamped by Aislo in the final furlong of the Ballysax Stakes, Risk Material fought back to go down by just the minimum margin. Declan Gillespie's Aislo re-opposes on exactly the same terms tomorrow with apprentice Fran Berry again not allowed to claim but this time it should be a different story.
The ground will be better which should aid Risk Material's impressive stride but most importantly, significant improvement can be expected for that first run of the season.
An interesting runner is Dance Design's half brother, the Galway winner Hibernian Rhapsody, but he is rated inferior to stable companion Make No Mistake who was seven lengths behind Aislo and Risk Material three weeks ago. These two can fight out the finish again but this time with a different result.
Overall it can be another very good afternoon's work for O'Brien and Christy Roche. The Tirol newcomer Blue Lotus has to give more than his share of weight away in the opener but is rated good enough already to justify an entry at York next week and will be hard to beat.
Another O'Brien horse who can reverse previous Leopardstown form is Kitza, one of five fillies from the stable, in the 1,000 Guineas Trial. Kitza went down by half a length to Dermot Weld's Idle Rich over seven furlongs last time and while Idle Rich will improve for that, so should Kitza and she is now 6lbs better off.
The Listed Amethyst Stakes has attracted a disapointing turnout but last year's winner Burden Of Proof beat a much stronger looking field last season and the likely main danger Chateau Royal appears to be quite a difficult ride.
Burden Of Proof's jockey John Murtagh can also take the concluding maiden with Allotrope, a Nashwan colt who will appreciate the increase in trip and whose runner-up spot behind Aislo at Tipperary now looks pretty good. The beautifully bred Yuan who is Miswaki out of the 'Arc runner up Northern Trick looks the main danger.
Fiddlers Rock and Moving On Up are suggested as the solutions to the two other jackpot heats.
Killarney is forecasting yielding ground for the start of its threeday meeting and while that may not be soft enough to be ideal for Native Darrig's chance in the Murphys Handicap Hurdle, Willie Mullins' wonderfully consistent servant is the selection. It's not that Native Darrig has to have the soft, it's just that he handles it better than most as he proved again at Punchestown when beating Theatreworld and Khayrawani. Charlie Swan has elected to ride Finnegans Hollow from the O'Brien entry and could be the main danger to Native Darrig who is reunited with regular rider Ruby Walsh.
Cloyne-based trainer Andrew Lee can win the maiden hurdle courtesy of Gaelic Probe.
Kevin Prendergast and Stephen Craine stole the headlines at Dundalk last night when landing a double with Iftatah and Crystal Wind.
Iftatah was the subject of a gamble in the second division of the Cooley Handicap. Backed at all rates from 10 to 1 down to 3 to 1, he justified that confidence when quickening to the front over a furlong out to beat Cheeky Harry by a cosy length and a half.
Crystal Wind was also well supported in the Dowdallshill Maiden, and the son of Common Grounds came away in the final 100 yards to beat market rival Amharclann by a length and a half.
The John Bowles-trained Altregan Boy caused a shock in the featured Carrolls Handicap Hurdle, leading at halfway and holding the top-weight Gazalani by a neck.
Bobbie McNally (18) was adjudged to have used his whip with excessive frequency and suspended for two days (May 17th18th) after getting San-France up in the closing stages to touch off Herb Superb in the Tallanstown Hunters Chase.
