MAKING excuses for Unlucky horses, no matter how genuine, can prove an expensive exercise for punters, and yet the more one looks at Sir True Blue in the Drumree Handicap at Navan this evening, the harder it is to get away from what looks an outstanding chance. The excuses for him in his three defeats so far this year at least had the merit of being different.

At Tipperary in March, he dwelt at the start when running fifth behind Wray, a winner at Leopardstown next time out. Then, at the Curragh, he broke alright, but after a furlong was baulked and lost his place. He again met interference when trying to recover the lost ground, but flew home to be second to Premier Project. Finally, at Listowel, having got to the front, Sir True Blue wandered left and was caught and beaten a neck and head by Bajan Queen and Miss Toffee Nose.

The mystery horse of the event is the top weight Little Sean. He was the 33 to 1 outsider at Listowel, and having broken slowly ran on to be third, beaten nine lengths by Machalini who did nothing for the form at Killarney this week when eighth of 10 to Thats Logic.

Last year, however, I detected a glimmer of possibility about Little Sean when he performed behind Burden of Proof at Leopardstown. His trainer certainly has no master at getting one ready for a punt.

John Oxx's fillies always improve for a run, and Sheikh Mohamed's Belsay from this yard could be another winner for Johnnie Murtagh in the EBF Fillies Maiden. She drifted from favouritism at Gowran Park and got tired in the closing stages to finish fifth to Smiling Brave.

The biggest field of the evening will line out for the bumper and Clanawhillan looks sure to give a good account of himself.

He had his first run in two years at Navan last month and ran a nice race to finish fifth to Kinnegad Girl. There were 30 declared, but two of them whipped round at the start and the favourite, Cake Baker, had to be put down. The selection has had his training problems since running fourth at Naas to Peace Time Girl, but, hopefully, he has put these behind.

Aidan O'Brien has a strong two-year-old team, and another winner in this age group should be Danyross, who has Curragh losses to recover in the Balreask EBF Maiden. Then he was a close third to Magical Baba.

Una's Choice was a nicely backed chase winner at Killarney yesterday, and if Francis Flood elects to strike again, the penalty may not stop him in the Garlow Cross Handicap Chase