Downpatrick, Leicester, Redcar and Windsor

Without the Curragh card (see below - abandoned) the rest of today´sracing in Britain and Ireland is at a very low level. The remaining Irish fixture is an all-hurdles card at Downpatrick, where the 2 1/4 miles race at 16.55 CET looks a match between Dermot Weld´s Absolute Image (Ruby Walsh) and Gordon Elliott´s Roman Villa (Barry Geraghty). Absolute Image has not run over hurdlkes for over 9 motnhs, but has been in good form on the flat, and with Dermot Weld´s stable in great form (including last night in Chicago), he can be preferred. German-bred Lugato has been very consistent over hurdles and will like the soft ground; he should be thereabvouts in the handicap hurdle over the same trip half an hour later. Bes race in Britain is the class 2 handicap over 7 furlongs for 3yo´s at 16.50 at Leicester, in which Zakhaaref (Mark Johnston/ Richard Hills), top-weight Lindoro (Walter Swinburn/ Saleem Golam) and bottomweight Autumn Blades (John Hills/ Liam Jones) appear to be the main contenders. There are some large fields at Redcar, with 14 declared for the main event, a 6 furlongs handicap for 3yo´s at 16.40. Borasco (David Barron/ Paul Fessey) won here yesterday and if he turns out again can score a quick double; in his absense The Game (Tom Dascombe/ Silvestre de Sousa) and Novellen Lad (Eric Alston/ David Allan) would proably have the best prospects. At Windsor, there are 5 last-time-out winners in the field of 9 for the class 4 handicap for 3yo´s over 10 furlongs at 16.30, but House of Lords (Michael Bell/ Jamie Spencer), whose fourth place last time at Newmarket reads very well, is probably the form pick, while Mick Channon´s Rileyskeepingfaith (Eddie Creighton), 6th in a Group Two at Goodwood last time, can take the class 3 conditions race for 2yo´s an hour later.