Irish flat season starts today

today is the first day of the Irish flat season on grass and there is a good card at the Curragh, headed by the Group Three Park Express Stakes over a mile for fillies and mares at 16.45 CET. Dermot Weld clearly has his eye on this valuable prize and saddles 3 of the 8 runners, with stable jockey Pat Smullen on Mad about you, who seems certain to start a warm favourite having been placed in four Group Ones last year. She finished behind Prima Luce (Jim Bolger/ Kevin Manning) in the Irish Oaks, but should turn around this form at today´s more suitable distance. Big betting race of the day is the Irish Lincolnshire at 17.15 with 21 runners, including the last two winners, top-weights Deauville Vision (Mike Halford/ Johnny Murtagh) and Crooked Throw (Charlie Swan/ Willie Lee), but we prefer two colts who showed improved form last backend, Rock and Roll Kid (Tony and Danny Mullins) and Designated Decoy (Weld/ Smullen). Aidan O´Brien has no runners at the Curragh, but will be pres ent to give some of his better 3yo´s a workout on the track after racing, so it will be well worth staying on. There is also jumping at Cork today with some huge fields and several German-breds entered. Champus (Noel Meade/ Barry Geraghty) is easily the best of them and should defeat his 26 (!) opponents in the maiden hurdle at 16.05. Unfortunately Meade has withdrawn Nicanor from the main event, the Easter Festival Hurdle at 17.05, which now has only 6 runners and should go to Willie Mullins´ Serpentaria (Ruby Walsh).

Betting forecast:
1. Race: Eireannach - King Ledley - Xtraxtra
2. Race: Bibury - Zaralanta - Surfer Girl
3. Race: Senor Benny - Kingsdale Ocean - Croi Mo Ri
4. Race: Mad About You - Prima Luce - Beach Bunny
5. Race: Rock And Roll Kid - Deauville Vision - Designated Decoy
6. Race: Mr Topaz - Sioduil - Chorus Of Angels
7. Race: Toraidhe - Sporting Icon - Final Approach