Reform Act to take feature

Previews: Dermot Weld's main priority today will be Nightime at Royal Ascot but Reform Act can also secure the home feature …

Previews: Dermot Weld's main priority today will be Nightime at Royal Ascot but Reform Act can also secure the home feature of the day for the Curragh trainer at Limerick.

She lines up for the Listed McInerney Homes Martin Molony Stakes alongside two cross-channel raiders, Foreign Affairs and Gavroche.

The veteran Foreign Affairs could find 11 furlongs around this track a bit sharp for him but it will be ideal for Reform Act who Weld believes will secure some valuable winning black type during her career.

With Pat Smullen on duty at Ascot, Tadhg O'Shea has the job of securing it this evening and he will fancy his chances on the fast ground.

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Tommy Stack pitches in both Sable D'Olonne, whose Naas debut victory was a surprise, and Dapple Grey who was no surprise at all when scoring at Leopardstown. The latter could end up the main threat to Weld's hope.

Johnny Murtagh will also be on duty at Limerick and the season's leading jockey can make it pay when he teams up with the Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer Tom Taaffe for Dryandra in the mile maiden.

Mallow trainer Eugene O'Sullivan doesn't often run horses on the flat but Two Excuses was only narrowly beaten at Roscommon last time out and the Buttevant jockey Colm O'Donoghue could help secure a North Cork success.

For a horse whose only previous start was in a bumper, Richelieu showed remarkable speed at Navan over five furlongs when third in a maiden to Wychood Wanderer. He didn't get an entirely clear run that day and a good run was clearly expected as there was some good support for him in the market.

Mill House Girl was a double bumper winner last summer and has her first start over jumps in the two-mile maiden hurdle.

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor

Brian O'Connor is the racing correspondent of The Irish Times. He also writes the Tipping Point column