The husband and wife team of Pat Smullen and Frances Crowley team up with Monday's course and distance winner Noend to try and lift tonight's featured 70,000 Guinness Handicap at Galway.
Smullen was suspended for the first two days of the festival so Declan McDonogh successfully deputised on the three-year-old who made all to beat Summer Soul.
However, that Dermot Weld trained opponent is back for another crack at Noend, who carries a mandatory 5lb penalty and has to cope with a competitive field of hardened campaigners.
An exception to that description is Michael Halford's rapidly improving four-year-old Who'd Of Guest who is on a four-timer but who has also been upped a massive 22lb in the ratings since easily scoring at Ballinrobe. That rise is surely enough to put some doubt into her supporters and it's unlikely that Noend will be allowed an easy lead so maybe the tough and consistent Raggtime Toon can reward some each way support.
Dermot Weld was singing the praises of Nina Carberry after she won on Wednesday and she can team up with another festival winner, Mahdi De Coeur, in the amateur handicap hurdle.
Arthur Moore's horse beat Thunder Road by a neck on Monday and has 6lb more to carry this evening. However, he coped with a similar penalty for another narrow success at Fairyhouse before that and Mahdi De Coeur may not be finished yet.
Dream Catch, who carries the colours of John Murtagh's wife Orla, carries a 14lb penalty in the mile handicap for easily winning at Fairyhouse but that is partially offset by a good draw. Nevertheless Music Celebre is a proven winner around here and is on the back of a good win at Leopardstown.
Kinger Rocks is likely to be heavily fancied to score for the Weld team in the mile and six conditions race. The 93 rated filly won well over hurdles here earlier in the week and is rated to beat these.
Clearing The Water had no luck on his debut when badly hampered and losing Pat Smullen at the Curragh but could turn into another Weld hotpot in the mile and a half maiden.
An interesting opponent though is Skyscape who has a first Irish start for her in-form trainer Tom Cooper. A fourth to the Irish Derby runner Bahar Shumaal at Sandown was no bad effort.
BRIAN O'CONNOR SELECTIONS
5.10 MAHDI DE COEUR (Nap)
5.40 KINGER ROCKS
6.15 THE DARK FLASHER
6.50 RAGGTIME TOON
7.25 SKYSCAPE
7.55 MUSIC CELEBRE
8.30 DISTANT PIPER
Double:
MAHDI DE COEUR
and MUSIC CELEBRE
