A total of 10 new race meetings will be run in Ireland this year, starting on Saturday week at Down Royal.

The Irish Horseracing Authority announced the additional fixtures yesterday, and the initiative means that the 30 meetings lost earlier in the year due to the foot-and-mouth crisis have been made up in full.

The last of the 10 new fixtures will be on New Year's Eve at Gowran Park and the others are: Fairyhouse (August 26th), Dundalk (September 5th), Sligo (October 3rd), Downpatrick (October 20th), Tramore (November 14th), Thurles (December 6th), Downpatrick (December 8th) and Punchestown (December 19th).

The Killarney festival winds up with an eight-race card that can see the Dermot Weld-Pat Smullen team score a double.

Daqtora was a distant third to Naahil at Leopardstown, but the race should have been of benefit to him and Smullen will know exactly where he stands with Jimmy Jinks having finished a length in front of him on Backcraft on Tuesday night.

Celtic Lore hasn't run in almost nine months when a distant second to Hanger Straight at Galway. The hardy veteran is a regular runner at the main Ballybrit festival and while today's mile handicap should put him right for another trip west, he could still be ready enough to go there in winning form.

Jimmy Jinks' trainer, Kevin O'Brien, who had a career highlight with Newpark Lady at the Curragh on Sunday, can continue his rich vein of form with the Sligo winner Didntearyea in the bumper, where Ballykettrail looks the main danger.

Michael Hourigan sets something of a dilemma in the handicap hurdle with both Throw The Deuce and Society Blue. Slight preference is for the Cork winner Throw The Deuce.

The in-form Thomond O'Mara stable can pick up the second division of the long distance handicap hurdle with the Bellewstown winner Muskerry King.

Homer has come into winning form with a bang recently and is going for three in a row in the opener. Jack Duggan, however, could prove hard to beat.