RACING/Weekend previews: The Ulster Derby got a kiss of life when it was transformed from a conditions race with penalties and allowances into a handicap, and yet somehow there is a downside to all this in that racegoers north of the Border have been denied their one chance in the Flat season of seeing genuine, Group-standard three-year-olds - admittedly usually a mere handful of them - in action.
On the withdrawal of three entries rated above 9st 8lb, one of which, Saintly Rachel, has been rerouted to Royal Ascot (4.55), the weights have been raised 3lb, and thus the Michael O'Brien-trained High Priestess, who has a rating of under 100, will be set to give from 1lb to 24lb to her 13 rivals.
In the normal run of things one would expect to see O'Brien with a top-of-the-handicap jumper in action at the big Down Royal National Hunt Festival in November, rather than a flat race equivalent, but High Priestess, a disappointment as a hurdler, has been well placed by him on the flat.
She started with a Galway maiden victory in 2003 and then improved from four to five years to win a brace of valuable Guinness sponsored handicaps at one mile four furlongs, the first at Galway on good to firm ground, beating Former Senator and High Reef, and the other at Tralee on heavy ground from Valentina Guest. Dangers abound, notably Blue Corrig, attempting to win this race for the second time.
The case for the Saturday nap, Silly Dancer (2.20), was reinforced by the result of the first race at Limerick last night. This went to Lucky Lucioni, who finished third to Briland and Silly Dancer at Navan.
The Jim Bolger/Kevin Manning partnership can collect on the double at Down Royal today with Torriani (3.20) and Grand Display (4.30).
Tomorrow, the bred-in-the-purple Lucky Spirit (3.15) can continue the winning sequence of Ger Lyons, while in the Coolmore Stud Ulster Oaks, Skerries (3.45) could be another winner for another trainer on a roll, namely Harry Rogers.
Gowran Park provides the only sport this weekend for those reluctant to go north, and local handler Tom Mullins in his first season as a licence holder will saddle up the nap, Bit Of A Gift (4.30).
