Thursday, July 16, 2009

Irish racing today

There are 2 Irish meetings today, a mixed meeting this afternoon at Killarney (the fourth and final day of their July meeting) and flat racing this evening at Leopardstown. At the latter track, the Group Three race for 2yo fillies at 19.30 CET is the main feature. Aidan O´Brien is double-handed here with Famous (Johnny Murtagh) and Cabaret (Seamus Heffernan), both easy winners last time and now moving up in grade; Kitty Kiernan (Jim Bolger/ Kevin Manning) and the unbeaten Alshabaa (Kevin Prendergast/ Declan McDonogh) look the two they have to beat. The other main race at Leopardstown is the listed 1 3/4 miles event at 22.00, which looks a re-run of the Curragh Cup on Irish Derby day. On that occasion, Profound Beauty (Dermot Weld/ Pat Smullen) was a narrow winner from Alandi (John Oxx/ Mick Kinane) and Yankee Doodle (Aidan O´Brien/ Murtagh) and it could be the same result again. At Killarney, Willie Mullins, already in good form, can land a double with Dual Gales (Ruby Walsh) over hurdles at 15.35 and Havetoavit (Paul Townend) on the flat at 18.10.