The three-day Bellewstown meeting gets under at six this evening, and the in-form Paddy Prendergast stable can get things off to a flying start for punters with The Flying Pig.
It's a rather unflattering name for this colt who has four fillies to beat in the Kilsharvan Maiden, especially since The Flying Pig ran a fine race last time out at Navan.
He made good ground in the closing stages to run Rainbow Amethyst to a head over five furlongs and had some useful types behind in Hamouse and Legend Falls.
The presence of Stephen Craine on The Flying Pig's back rather than on Kevin Prendergast's newcomer, Matanah, looks significant, and with his trainer fresh from a big win with Jimmy The Greek on Sunday, The Flying Pig can belie his title. Hot Bunny also goes in this and will be a significant runner, for she will be the first horse saddled by Charlie Swan under his new training hat.
The champion jockey will also be represented by Lewisham in the most valuable race on the card, the Fallon Engineering Hurdle, where the enigmatic Lanturn can make another visit to the winner's enclosure. Pat Hughes's horse made a well-documented trip to the winner's enclosure at Galway last year, only to be subsequently disqualified, but in a bumper at Naas in May he managed to stay there.
Lanturn was beaten by King's Fayre at Cork in another bumper but, when right, he has ability, and with the returning Paul Hourigan on his back is taken to beat Lisa's Storm and Darbela.
The Curragh trainers, Dermot Weld and John Oxx, are regular visitors to Bellewstown and both look set to be on the mark there again.
Oxx saddles Sarigor, who can break his duck at the third time of asking in the McAuley Maiden.
Windy Project recorded his third and most important victory of the season when making all under Niall McCullagh to take the featured £12,000 Kerry Spring Mineral Water Handicap at Cork last night. The improving five-year-old beat Little Sean by two lengths, with favourite Ridgewood Ruby a short head back in third.
Bhutan, owned and bred by British Horseracing Board chairman Peter Savill, caused a shock in the opening Kerrymaid Handicap, taking the front-running Polenka in the final 100 yards to score by half a length.
Tramore handler John Roche opened his account for the new jumps season when landing the Move Over Butter Novice Chase with All For Max.
